Santa Cruz |
This
island is centered in the middle of the archipelago and also where
most of the Islands have chosen to inhabit mainly around Puerto
Ayora,
the economic capital of the islands, while the total inhabitants
on all adjacent islands is currently standing at 17,000 with 50%
living on Santa Cruz. It is also the major island that travelers
will visit and begin their tours from also in Puerto
Ayora.
While on the island it is well worth a visit to the Charles
Darwin Research Station
nestled in Academy Bay which also has shopping facilities.
While
on the island and further inland the visitors can also take advantage
of guided tours showing farming settlements in Santa Rosa
and Bellavista as well as viewing the different vegetation
forms in comparison to the coastal exteriors. See
also excursions from Santa Cruz.
The
Darwin Research station where you may witness various collections
of giant tortoise subspecies are reared including the young for
further breeding programs.
The
station is also a good introduction to the visitor in providing
all types of information on the life and history of the islands
with very helpful staff. It is open From Monday to Friday, from
06:00 to 18:00.
Baltra
|
This small island is currently a military base for the Ecuadorian
air force and is used as a main landing area into the other islands.
It is by no means scenic and has a very dry and rubble look to
it left by USAF. North of the island you can see an abundance
of Sea lions that have grouped on Mosquera bank, a small
sandy area of wilderness. The island has also been named South
Seymour.
North Seymour
|
To
the North of Baltra lies North Seymour which houses various marine
iguanas, frigate birds, blue-footed bobbies, sea lions as well
as swallow-tailed gulls who fish the area. The mangrove areas
are the best recommended areas for viewing the blue-footed boobies
who have made their homes there to bring up their family.
Daphne Mayor
|
The island limits only smaller crafts here due to erosion, usually
just monthly. But it is well worth adventuring to largely for
the dense bird life just west of Baltra.
Plaza Sur
|
This
island has spectacular view points from its Southern cliff faces
formed through geological plate uplifts and lies adjacent to Puerto
Ayora.
The
cliffs also has underneath a series of nestled homes belonging
to the red billed tropic birds and swallowtail gulls so do check
this area out.
Also
wandering around the island are several blue-footed boobies and
an overabundance of land iguanas. There are also a few sea lions
who have been pensioned off from the rest of society through old
age and are surplus to mating the requirements of younger females.
Santa Fé
|
In the middle of Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal (Southern
eastern side of the archipelago) lies Santa Fé formed the
same way as many Hawaiian islands through volcanic uprisings.
The island has its own unique forms of land iguanas and an Arizonian
stark and barren looking landscape of cactus.
If you take a swim here you'll be greeted by a playgroup of sea
lions that interact joyfully with the human.
San Cristóbal
|
San
Cristóbal is the most easternly island and oldest, the
main town is Puerto
Baquerizo Moreno,
Capital province of the whole Archipelago.
There
are daily buses that journey to the islands interior from Puerto
Baquerizo Moreno to El Progreso (7 km, 20 minutes, US$0.30),
from here you can hike for almost 3 hours to El Junco lake,
the largest area of fresh water contained on any of the islands.
You
can also take regular collection trucks to El Progreso, around
US $2 or you may decide to hire one in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
for about US $16 onto El Junco.
For
around $38 you may also continue onto Puerto Chino with
wild beaches on the adjacent side of San Cristóbal passing
tortoise reserves nearing completion. Leaving El Progreso is another
route that takes you to La Soledad which has various Vegetation
leading to the coastline.
To
the Northwest and a 3 1/2 hour walk lies Galapaguera which
has areas of wild tortoises roaming randomly around and well worth
visiting while in the Northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno has
on Isla Lobos a colony of sea lions to view.
One
thing to watch out for while hiking around the island is rubbing
up or brushing against poisonous Cactus called large-spined Opuntia
and Manzanillo, similar family of the poison ivy which can both
cause serious skin inflammations and body reactions so, be careful!
Finally
check out Kicker Rock or León Dormido crater which
can be reached by smaller boats and there you'll find in the cliffs
more nests which are home to Both blue-footed and masked boobies.
Española
|
This
island is considered the purest form of all the islands supporting
wildlife due to a past program designed to clear previous feral
species allowing both endemic, current and migratory sea birds
to evolve without competition. There is also good snorkeling on
the Northeastern coast in Gardner Bay.
The western tip is home to a group of very colorful iguanas as
well as many sea lions and wildlife selection and sea birds that
includes both variety's of the boobie, masked and blue-footed.
It is also the most southerly part of the island range.
Floreana
|
This
island has around 70 local residents but apart from a few vacancies
for accommodation it is mainly for campers who arrive with their
own food rations.
The
island has also the longest inhibitors if anywhere in Galapagos
and is famous for a series of magazine articles and books published
about the Galapagos affair in the 1930s, including one by Margaret
Wittmer who was involved during the love scandals and who died
recently aged 95. The main landmarks of note are Devil's Crown,
a volcano submerged below the waters with a set of pointed peaks
which to the eye emerge as a jagged crown. The area is surrounded
by a host of different marine life including sharks, turtles and
fish varieties.
At
the Northern end of the island lies Punta Cormorant with
the landing point on a green colored sand tinted by olivine crystals
combined with magnesium and iron deposits. Follow the trail to
a lake filled with pink flamingoes to the coastline named Flour
beach due to its finite white particles.
The
Western remote side of the island also has a beach worth viewing
and is very tranquil called Black beach and has a small
settlement of people. More
about Floreana Island.
Isabela (Albemarte)
|
Isabela
Island posses the largest body of land in all the archipelago
and houses 6 major volcanoes with lava flows emanating from them.
The
names of the 6 volcanoes are Alcedo, Cerro Azul,
Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf.
Living around the volcanoes of which 5 are highly active lives
an isolated unique giant tortoise subspecies.
The
main area of the population inhabiting the island are located
in Puerto Villamil, Southern coastline and houses around
3,000 resident. The area is surrounded by many lagoons, flamingoes
and common stilts.
Southwest
of Villamil by dinghy you can also view the penguins along rocky
shores. You
can view further clusters of penguins also in Elizabeth Bay.
The major site on the island is the crater spanning 3 miles in
radius and the largest one in the world but to view the giant
tortoise inhabiting the volcanoes circumference it will take a
day to climb unless you go via horseback or pick up truck.
Alcedo
Volcano again with its own giant tortoises can also be hiked
and is accessed via a landing sight east of Isabela.
Urbina Bay located at the footings of the Volcano was also
subjected to major plate uplifts in 1954 forcing the coastline
to bloat out a further 1 km and occurred so rapidly that thousands
of fish and lobsters were left marooned on what is now the shore.
Finally,
Tagus cove on the west coastline is also worth visiting
and was an anchorage area for many shipping vessels dating back
to the 1800s and today still shows visible signs of its history
in a series of ships names still visibly painted on the cliffs.
To the Northern end of Tagus Cove is an area teeming in mangroves
suitable for swimming with an adjacent beautifully sheltered beach.
More
about Isabela.
Fernandina
|
Although
700,000 years in physical age Fernandina is the youngest evolved
island. The best route from the landing site is Northeast to Punta
Espinosa is via a sanded area towards an abundance of large
colonies of marine Iguanas. The Iguanas mainly burrow holes in
the sand to create quickly made nests. Snorkeling is also predominant
in the bay area.
Santiago
|
Also
known as James island, Santiago lies to the northwest of Santa
Cruz. The landscape is fairly baron but perfect for goats who
were imported in the 1800s. In most parts the lands are volcanic
in appearance with a series of pinnacles and cliffs that dominate
the early evening skylines and are home to many marine birds who
nest conveniently beneath the cliff faces.
The
main landing area is in James Bay, west of the island as
is Espumilla Beach where you may amble through the trail
to a lake with flamingoes, stilts and pintail ducks. There is
also a feeding area for flamingoes and nests so do investigate
fully.
Finally,
on the northwest side of the island you will find an ex-pirate
hang out during the 17th to 18th centuries called Buccaneer
Cove while to the eastern side adjacent to Bartolomé
island is Sullivan Bay with a trail which leads
you through a series of lava fields formed at the end of the 19th
century, the landscape is literally from another planet and most
alien in nature.
Bartolomé
|
From
the eastern side of Santiago lies the most photographed and viewed
island and attributable through its panoramic views from the summit
of Pinnacle rock, a small island inside Sullivan Bay. The
other landing site drops you off a beach where snorkeling is popular
amongst the penguins.
Rábida
|
South
of Santiago lies Rábida. Snorkeling and swimming are also
popular here while the main trail leads to a major sea water lagoon
and mangroves where brown pelicans have made their homes while
flamingoes have also been known to frequent the area.
For
those interested in geological evolution the island is infamous
for housing the widest diversity of rocks formed through vulcanization.
Sombrero Chino
|
This
island opposite Santiago's southeastern point is accessible for
smaller boats only and is infamous for its fragmented lava fields
and general volcanic lunar landscape. The name given to the island
refers to its sombrero (hat) shape.
Genovesa
|
A
ten hour sail from Puerto
Ayora
through the night makes this island accessible mainly through
longer cruises or luxury ships that have ample food for a few
days. Darwin bay is a major area for visitors to sail into
a narrow entrance into a lagoon where you will anchor to watch
large colonies of breeding frigates and mangroves on the eastern
side while the most interesting area is a breath taking walk through
Prince Philip's steps.
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