Galapagos - tips by travel authority Howard Hillman

Galapagos Islands

travel wonder in Ecuador

Why the Galapagos

Islands are special

The Galapagos Islands are remote, some 1000 kilometers (600 miles) off the South American coast. This geographical isolation enabled Galapagos Island creatures to slowly change into new versions of themselves, ones that are found nowhere else on earth.

Famous examples include the marine iguana and giant tortoise. The islands were the catalyst for the evolution theory developed by Charles Darwin in the early 1800s.

Mistakes Galapagos

Islands travelers make -

and how to avoid them

Don't make the same errors other travelers have made before you. Click the buttons below for my unbiased Galapagos Islands Guide. Its web pages identifies crucial mistakes and give you candid advice on avoiding them:

Click these two buttons to view the other web pages in my Galapagos Islands Guide:

The Galapagos Islands

are a major adventure

vacation destination

Each year 60,000 travelers vacation there. The fauna and flora they see are for the most part the same as Charles Darwin did nearly 200 years ago.

Most vacationers take yacht cruises, with durations ranging from 4 days to 2 weeks. The highlights are the twice daily land excursions from the cruise ship to view the unique wildlife and vegetation.

Some vacationers also snorkel and dive (the Galapagos Islands are considered one of the world's finest spots for those sports).

Top ten Galapagos

wildlife list

Everyone who has visited the islands has his own personal list. I impartially surveyed Galapagos Islands travelers for their opinions on which wildlife creatures thrilled them the most. The consensus results:

1 Marine iguana

2 Giant tortoise

3 Blue footed booby

4 Land iguana

5 Penguin

6 Sea lion

7 Sally lightfoot crab

8 Waved albatross

9 Flamingo

10 Frigate bird

View my other top 100

Wonders of the World