galapagos island information
Baltra (South Seymour)
A small military base for Ecuador, and home to the Galapagos' main airport, Baltra has been affected by humans more than the other islands. The boats leave from Baltra for the island cruises, which will take you to the islands of unspoilt natural beauty.
Bartolomé Island
The small island of Bartolomé is situated off the eastern shore of Santiago Island, in Sullivan Bay. Its dramatic landscape is created by the volcanic rock formations, and the steep summit at the first of the visitor sites affords panoramic views across the bay. At the second site, you can swim or snorkel in the tropical waters with Galapagos penguins off a quiet stretch of beach. Multi-coloured fish swim around the base of Pinnacle Rock, amongst sea lions and penguins.
Fernandina (Narborough)
Fernandina is the youngest island of the Galapagos archipelago, about 700,000 years old, and the most volcanically active. From the visitor site of Punta Espinoza, walk on the sandy trail, past the nesting sites where hundreds of marine iguanas converge. Flightless cormorants, pelicans and sea lions can also be seen as you explore the island.
Española (Hood)
Española is home to an incredible array of seabirds, with numerous and varied colonies nesting upon the rocky ground of Punta Suárez, including the waved albatross. The beautiful turquoise waters of Gardner Bay are the perfect place to swim or snorkel in the company of sea lions and mockingbirds. High cliffs along the southern shore provide great views of the birds, and of the surf soaring up to 75 feet in the air through a blowhole in the rock.
Floreana (Charles)
In the 18th Century, whalers placed a barrel for post in what is now known as Post Office Bay. The barrel remains, used by mariners and tourists to carry letters to their destination by hand. Further along the coast is Punta Cormorant, where you land on a green-coloured sandy beach to see the lagoon where flamingos and other shorebirds nest. The fine, white sand of Flour Beach is a common nesting ground for turtles. Floreana also offers excellent snorkelling at the site of the submerged volcano, Devil's Crown.
Isabela (Albemarle)
The largest of the Galapagos Islands, Isabela was created by six volcanoes fusing together. Five of these are still active, and have each supported their own sub-species of giant tortoise. These endemic species can sometimes be spotted in the wild on Isabela, and there are a number of large and colourful land iguanas to be seen. A dinghy ride around the coast offers sights of a range of wildlife such as penguins, flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies, pelicans and Sally Lightfoot crabs. At Tagus Cove, you can still see the painted names of the ships of pirates and whalers from centuries ago, and it is only a short walk to Darwin's Crater, a salt-water lake with superb views. The dark volcanic sand beach at Urbina Bay was created when Alcedo Volcano erupted, pushing the coastline up by nearly five metres. A number of brackish lakes are good places to spot birds, from frigates and flamingos to the rare gallinules bird. Isabela's desolate landscape supports unusual and varied arid-zone vegetation.
Santiago (James)
Pirates frequented Buccaneer Cove on Santiago Island in the 17th and 18th Centuries, and the island is now a popular resting place for migrating birds on their arduous journeys across the sea. James Bay is a great place to observe Darwin's finches and the Galapagos hawk. Flamingos, stilts and pintail ducks often inhabit the lake nearby to Espumilla Beach, and turtle nests can often be found close by. Santiago's spectacular black lava rock formations provide homes for the Galapagos fur sea lions.
Rabida
The rusty red landscape of Rabida Island is set amongst the blue waters just south of Santiago. Sea lions laze on its red sand beaches, and further inland, pelicans nest in the mangroves surrounding a salt-water lagoon where flamingos can often be found.
North Seymour
North Seymour was created by uplift in the Earth's crust thousands of years ago. Its flat terrain is home to the endemic Palo Santo trees, marine iguanas, frigate birds and swallow-tailed gulls. Sea lions play in the surf, and one of the main nesting sites for blue-footed boobies can be found in the mangroves.
San Cristobal (Chatham)
The provincial capital of the Galapagos, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, is located on San Cristobal, and has its own airport. The Interpretation Centre on the island provides a useful source of information on the island's natural and human history. You can walk around El Junco Lake, the largest freshwater lake on the archipelago, which is set in the crater of a volcano. Sea lions play in the harbour at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, and the island is a good place to spot endemic species such as lava lizards and mockingbirds.
Lobos Island (Sea Lion Islet)
This tranquil islet is separated from San Cristobel Island by a stretch of calm water. Blue-footed boobies and sea lions laze on its rocky shores.
Santa Cruz (Indefatigable)
The Charles Darwin Research Centre is located in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz's rapidly expanding port. Giant tortoises are bred here in captivity, and you can visit Lonesome George, the last remaining tortoise of his sub-species. After visiting Puerto Ayora, travel to the highlands, where there are some excellent areas to observe the native flora, with vast amounts of epiphytic plants. The Pit Craters is a great place for bird-watchers looking to spot woodpecker finches, and giant tortoises can be found seasonally grazing on the pastures of local farms. On the coast at Caleta Tortuga Negra, you can sail through the mangrove swamps, observing marine turtles, white-tipped sharks, spotted eagle rays and yellow cow-nosed rays.
Genovesa (Tower)
Commonly referred to as the "bird island" because of its incredible range of seabirds, Genovesa is home to frigate birds, red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, noddy terns, lava gulls, doves, storm petrels, Darwin's finches, flycatchers ... the list is endless. You may even catch a glimpse of the rare short-eared owl. Climb the steep cliffs amongst hundreds of birds on Prince Philip's Steps, watch the spectacular sunset, or go snorkelling around the cliffs.
