Galápagos Islands
About Galápagos Islands
There are 20 islands that make up the Galapagos Archipelago. Out of the 20 the 13 main ones are Baltra, Española, Fernandina, Floreana, Genovesa, Isabela, Merlana. Pinta, Pinzon, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, and Santiago. All of the islands are the outcome of volcanic activity that happened 5 million years ago. Because many of the species that arrived there adapted very fast and easily, they evolved in completely different ways from their continental relatives and are now known as species that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. In 1832, 297 years after the islands were found, Ecuador took possession of them. The islands are about 1,000 km away from the west coast of South America, and 1369 km away from Ecuador.
The Bartolome Island is one very special island in the Galapagos. Since it is located in the center of the archipelago you can see more than 10 islands from the top viewpoint and because of that the island is very famous. Bartolome is also an unpopulated island which means that its flora and fauna is amazing and it's a great spot for snorkeling. It is also a great source of food for marine animals since the water surrounding the shore is cold. Española is in the southernmost of
Galapagos and is one of the oldest islands. Since the island is one of the most isolated ones, it has a large amount of endemic species. It has a lot of variety and quantity when it comes to wildlife which makes its two visitor site in the most attractive and popular range. It is also mostly well known as the exclusive breeding ground for the entire population of the worlds Waved Albatrosses. Floriana was the home to the first Galapagos resident Patrick Watkins and is the site of the first established post office in the islands. It was also the first island to be colonized, but that didn't last long due to the lack of fresh water. Today the majority of its residents make their living from farming. The main water source there is a pond that gets filled with rainwater during the rainy season. Drought is something that the residents have to worry about since it is something very serious there. Transportation to and from Floriana still very limited with only a boat from Santa Cruz arriving there on average every two weeks. San Cristobal houses the capital of Galapagos. It is the fifth largest island and easternmost of the Galapagos Islands. It is comprised of 3 or 4 fused volcanoes that all went extinct. It is also home
to the oldest permanent settlement of the islands. Its name comes from St.Christopher the patron saint of seafarers. The town of Puerto Baquelizo Moreno is home to the capital of the Galapagos Islands and it is also home to government offices like an Ecuadorian Navy facility and an airport with daily flies to the mainland. There are 5,400 residents there which make it the second most populated island after Santa Cruz. The majority of people there live off working for the
government, tourism, and artisanal fishing. Santa Cruz is the most populated island. It is also a focal poin t for scientific research and home of the famous Charles Darwin Station. The highlands there often have mist which provides ideal habitats for animals and is the best place for bird watching since you can find almost every single bird in the Galapagos Islands there.
Our recommended yacht cruises in Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are one of the many beautiful, mysterious, and old islands in the world. It’s a great place to visit and make great memories, and it’s also a great place to see all of the amazing wildlife that it holds. But, to get there you will need to do some traveling. First you will need to get to Ecuador, which is located in South America, and then go there by plane. The three airlines that currently serve Galápagos are Avianca, Tame, and LAN. The flight time is 1 hour and 45 minutes and most flights depart from Guayaquil or Quito. Cruising in the Galapagos is one of the major things to do there. Cruises there offer many activities like for example snorkeling, which is a major thing to do while visiting the Galápagos Islands. Many cruise ships let you borrow all of the snorkeling equipment that you need, and usually have a guide to help
people out. Inside a cruise, all the commodities are covered and exploration activities are abundant. They also have many spacious social areas, restaurants, and many other features that not all cruise ships might have. On average, most cruises in the Galápagos Islands aren’t very big, they have at most 50 cabins and serve around 90 guests per cruise. The amount of money spent on a cruise depends on how many days you will stay there. The average rate of a five day cruise or less is about $2500 per person, and it can go up. The average rate for an eight day cruise or longer is about $4500 per person and up. There are many great things to do in the Galápagos Islands, from the activities to the amazing places you can visit, too. The wildlife and natural parks are beautiful as well. So visit the Galápagos Islands because it would be and
experience that you would never forget.
History
The Galapagos Islands are very unique and special in many ways and its history is very intriguing. They first began to form about 3 million to 5 million years ago, which in geological time is “young”. In 1535 Fray Tomas de Berlanga, Panams first bishop, discovered the islands when he was blown off course while sailing to Peru. it first appeared in maps in 1570 with the name Issuale de los Galopegos, which means “Island of the Tortoises.” Even though they were first discovered in 1535 it wasn't until 1807 when the Galapagos Islands got its first “permanent” inhabitant. After being marooned in the islands, Patrick Watkins became the first person to live there. He stayed for 8 year and during those years he began farming and giving supplies of food to all the ships that went there. But after 8 years of doing so, he stole a boat and sailed to the mainland leaving the islands once again uninhibited.
What was special about the Galapagos Islands was that it was a perfect refuge for pirates and buccaneers. Many of them would sail there for refuge and to stop for a while without having to worry about being found. The 19th century was when the islands got their most famous visitor, Charles Darwin. He arrived there in 1835 aboard the HMS Beagle while sailing around South America. Even though he didn't get as much time as he wanted at the islands, he had enough time to take numerous geological and biological specimens from the islands, upon which he based his theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin was welcomed to the islands by a small community that had been settleted in 1831 by General Jose de Villamil, who was also the town's first governor. They worked in the island harvesting crops and raising animals like pigs, horses, goats, cattle, donkeys, and other domesticated animals. Even though it looked like the settlement was doing good, it didn't last long as it was declared as a failure in 1852. After that other attempts were made to colonize the islands following Villamils attempt. They included fishing, salt mining and canning even a jail
was built, but most were unsuccessful. Today the Galapagos Islands are very unique and beautiful. Many of the thriving communities there live off fishing and tourism and even though many tourists come and go the communities still need to keep their lifestyle in line with the natural life there. There are now some wildlife sanctuaries and the islands inhabitants try to keep the islands as favorable as possible.
Weather in Galápagos Islands
June is the hottest month in Havana with an average temperature of 27°C (81°F) and the coldest is January at 21°C (70°F) with the most daily sunshine hours at 11 in July. The wettest month is June with an average of 80mm of rain. The best month to swim in the sea is in August when the average sea temperature is 30°C (86°F).
Check all Statistics in Accuweather
