General Information
The UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Galapagos Islands are off the coast of Ecuador in South America. People visit this location for may reasons from diving, to bird watching, to interests in Darwin and evolution. There are many islands, some are tiny rocks, and others support human populations in the thousands.
Visiting the sites are by special permits usually secured by tour companies and run by the park system to limit impact and to help give the illusion of solitude. On some days, we saw other boats, but were visually alone on islands and in other places there were countless groups. In some ways, it was not the place we thought it was and in other ways it was so much more. Without a second thought, we would return if the opportunity arose.
To get to the islands, most people allow a tour company to secure their tickets from either Quito or Guayaquil to one of the airports on the Galapagos. From there, many board boats that they will live on for days to over a week. It is also possible to fly on to one of the islands, stay at a hotel, and do activities on the island with a day snorkel trip out to another island. We went for the boat tour.
Visual Links
Map of Where We Went
