Galápagos

Galápagos: An Encounter with Nature in Its Purest Form

The Galápagos Islands are one of the great natural wonders of the world. This volcanic archipelago in the Ecuadorian Pacific is home to species that exist nowhere else on Earth. Giant tortoises, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and sea lions greet you fearlessly in an ecosystem where humans are the visitors.

💡 Fun Facts & History

• 💡The Galápagos were declared a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1978, one of the first sites in the world to receive this distinction, recognizing their unique and irreplaceable value.
• 💡Giant tortoises can live over 175 years. Lonesome George, the last of his species from Pinta Island, died in 2012 at an estimated age of 100.
• 💡The Galápagos are the only place in the world where penguins live on the equator. The Galápagos penguin is the world's most northerly penguin species.
• 💡Galápagos marine iguanas are the only lizards in the world that feed in the ocean. They can dive up to 30 feet to forage for algae.
• 💡97% of the archipelago is protected national park. Only the remaining 3% is inhabited by humans, on the main islands.
• 💡The Galápagos Islands are between 1 and 5 million years old. They are geologically young volcanic islands, and new islands are still forming underwater.