Tours around Galapagos

Tours around Galapagos are available in groups of no more than 20 visitors who are led by a certified naturalist, as a policy intended to reduce the impact on the fragile ecosystem, damaged for centuries of depredation, while providing to the visitors a sense of privacy and solitude on the islands, with a sense of paradise. Among the different destinations these are some of those you may visit on your next vacation:

Fernandina Island (Charles), located at Punta Espinoza, with flightless cormorants, sally light foot crabs, pelicans, sea lions, and abundance of marine iguanas seen along the shores of one of world's most active volcanoes.

Wolf and Darwin Islands, also known as Wenman and Culpepper respectively, which are two eroded volcanoes now extinct. These are two small islets located on a volcanic ridge alignment northwest-southeast and inhabited only by sea birds, so it is rarely visited.

Las Tintoreras, 5 minutes ride in a dinghy from Port Villamil, where the white tipped shark can be observed. There is a trail on this island that allows visitors to see the flora and fauna.

Urbina Bay, a natural beauty with its dramatic landscape formed by uplifted corals where flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, and sometimes giant tortoises may be seen.

Tagus Cove, once the favorite anchorage for whalers and pirates offers a trail which leads to the higher point for a breathtaking view of the crater lake and the lave flows of Darwin volcano. You may take a boat ride along the cliffs and observe flightless cormorant and the Galapagos penguin.

Punta Moreno, another sight of interest offering lava fields and pioneer plants. Occasionally, flamingos are seen in oasis-like green lagoons as well as the flightless cormorant and marine iguana.

Pinta Island, also known as Abington, is an elongated shield rising from a northwest trending submarine ridge, seldom visited that once had a thriving tortoise population, but nowadays only one surviving member of this race named "Lonesome George" is held at the Charles Darwin Research Station with the hope to find a mate of the same race for preservation because efforts to encourage George to mate with other races of tortoise have failed, so when George dies, the Pinta race of giant tortoises will disappear.

Declared as a Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978, visitors to the Galapagos must observe the rules of the National Park:

- Do not smoke on the islands.
- Do not feed the animals.
- Do not touch or handle the animals.
- Do not startle or chase any animal.
- Do not disturb or remove any plant, rock or animal.
- Do not leave or throw any litter on or off the ships.
- Stay on marked trails to avoid damage to vegetation or cause erosion.
- Be careful not to transport any organic material form island to island.
- Do not buy souvenirs made from native Galapagos products, except for wood.

And the most important rule is do not hesitate to show your conservationist attitude during your visit.

The impressive number of island and islets belonging to the Galapagos archipelago makes it impossible to describe each one and their corresponding attraction is this small space, but the adventure to explore the 22 main islands and the many small islands that captured the attention of Charles Darwin are always waiting for you in your next travel.