The Galapagos Islands, or the Colon Archipelago, located in the Pacific Ocean, attract exotic connoisseurs from around the world. This resort can not be described in words, it needs to be seen and felt on ourselves, but we will try.
The archipelago includes a whole group of 19 islands with a total area of 8,010 square kilometers. The Galapogos Islands are the province of Ecuador of the same name, separated from the mainland. This place has concentrated a unique nature, a variety of flora and fauna, as well as an elite resort. It was on the Colon archipelago that Charles Darwin was able to prove the famous theory of evolution by natural selection, and tourists from all over the world were able to conquer the wave and enjoy extreme sports, coupled with measured beach vacations.
In today's article about traveling around the paradise of the planet, we will talk about the most amazing places in the Galapagos Islands, local nature, tourism and other interesting things. Well, let's go!
Geography
The Colon Archipelago is famous for its flora and fauna, which are the main sources of tourism in the country. Where are the Galapagos Islands? They are located 972 km west of Ecuador and are washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. There are practically no sources of fresh water, and some islands are still at the formation stage due to volcanic eruptions.
The archipelago is characterized by a cold current, which has a strong effect on the local climate. This factor explains why the islands are much colder than the other mainland at the equator.
History
It's no secret that the archipelago is of volcanic origin, more precisely, if it were not for tectonic activity, then today we would not have observed any islands. Further, the first settlers appeared here, but all this information has no documentary evidence, these are only assumptions of scientists.
It is known that the first person to set foot on the land of the Galapagos Islands in 1535 was Thomas de Berlanga, a priest with Irish roots. The history of the discovery of an exotic area is quite interesting. Thomas followed a certain course, moving towards Peru, in the end he and his team came across an island with giant turtles, which were later called Galapagos, which means “elephant turtles”.
Further, the archipelago received the status of Ecuador National Park, and in 1978 entered the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The islands
We have already mentioned that the Colon Archipelago consists of 19 islands, but this is not enough to fully get acquainted with the Galapagos Islands. Today, only half of them are the most famous. Let's get acquainted!
Isabel
Isabel Island was named after the Castilian queen and is one of the most popular destinations on the archipelago, because it is here that the active volcano Wolf and the equally famous Sierra Negra volcano with a crater diameter that takes second place in size in all the world. The island also has its own Wailing Wall and a unique bay with a black sandy beach.
The local wall was erected in the 20th century by the hands of prisoners who were serving correctional labor in difficult conditions. There are practically no hiking trails on this island. For the most part, Isabella is suitable for a private holiday in the Galapagos Islands, as the main attractions here are volcanoes, senior yachts, fishing and a reef with turtles and white sharks.
Santa cruz
This is the main tourist island and at the same time the most densely populated. Santa Cruz has the main Galapagos port, Puerto Ayora. This island is famous for its beautiful vegetation, rare birds, as well as cacti and mango thickets. Not far from Puerto Ayora is the luxurious Tortuga Bay beach, attracting tourists from all over the world. The beach is a kind of home to giant turtles and the location of the national park.
The island opens up a wide range of opportunities for vacationers, such as unlimited diving with a rich underwater world, boat and horse rides, beach vacations and simply unforgettable landscapes. On the island of Santa Cruz there is a network of hotels offering tourists rooms of various categories: from the most budgetary to expensive presidential suites.
Travelers can also rent a boat for how many days and go on their own voyage in order to explore the archipelago. In addition to all of the above, the island of Santa Cruz is famous for its largest existing laboratory in Darwin, where research and work aimed at preserving the nature of the Galapagos Islands are regularly conducted.
San salvador
On this island is another no less popular beach, “Puerto Egas”, formed from volcanic tuff. By the way, black sand has healing properties, in particular, relaxing on such a beach will be useful to people with problems of the musculoskeletal system. On the island of San Salvador, there is the only source of fresh water in the form of a volcanic lake in the crater of the volcano El Junco.
Fernandina
True connoisseurs of exotic and extreme go to Fernandina island. It is on its territory that the most active volcano La Cumbre is located, which spews lava every few years. Here is one of the rarest and most beautiful coral reefs on the Colon archipelago.
San cristobal
This island is the second most populated among the entire archipelago, also there is the current capital - the city of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. On San Cristobal, you can find all the diversity of tropical nature: from arid and semi-desert regions to a subtropical climate. On the territory of the island there is a small park with sea lions and a museum where tourists can tell the whole history of the Galapagos Islands.
Santiago
Such a beautiful name of the island could not appear by chance. It is on the island of Santiago, or rather, on one of its black sandy beaches of coal, that you can observe the whole variety of animals in the Galapagos Islands. The highest point of the island for many tourists acts as a viewing platform, which offers a picturesque view of the surrounding landscape.
Turtles
The central figure of the Galapagosses are local "large-caliber" turtles. They reach up to 1.8 meters in length and weight up to 400 kilograms. Turtles of the Galapagos Islands are the main centenarians, whose life expectancy is more than a century, or even all 170 years. The diet of elephant turtles on the island is quite monotonous - these are local shrubs and grass. Recall that they are all vegetarians. Their most favorite delicacy is the plant of mancenile and prickly pear from the cactus family.
All turtles living on the Colon archipelago differ in size and shape of the shell. Large islands with high humidity, as a rule, live in large reptiles, but in arid areas they are smaller and with a saddle-shaped carapace.
After the situation on the island became critical due to human invasion and the spread of livestock, the population of turtles decreased significantly. Fortunately, people managed to come to their senses and released calves raised in captivity, which helped to stabilize the situation. But despite this factor, elephant turtles are still on the list of vulnerable animals.
Other wildlife
Another representative of the local flora and fauna are iguanas and sea lizards. They spend most of the time in water, and creep out on land only to soak up the sun. Do not be surprised if you find synchronously sneezing lizards on the shore - this way they eliminate excess sea salt.
Unexpected information for many readers may be the existence of penguins in the Galapagos Islands. These wildlife prefer colder island territories such as Isabella or Fernandina. Penguins are amazing creatures whose behavior should definitely be followed by tourists coming to rest.
The species of birds living on the Colon archipelago deserve special attention. On the same islands as the penguins, flightless cormorants nest, and rare pink flamingos can be found on Lake Lago Balthazar. The best place to observe the large birds of the Galapagos Islands is Fragata Bird Hill, located on the island of San Cristobal.
Going to the territory of the island of San Salvador, you can meet whole clusters of fur seals, as well as iguanas, sea lions and even dolphins. But the underwater world acts as a favorite meeting place with a wide variety of living representatives for each tourist on the archipelago. Divers here definitely have a place to turn around. The waters of the archipelago boast their marine inhabitants: colorful fish, coral reefs, fur seals, sharks and stingrays.
The most popular among travelers and experienced divers is the grotto on the island of San Salvador and the Devil's Crown. The second place is located near the island of Santa Maria and is famous for its predatory inhabitants.
How to get to the Galapagos Islands
Before you start talking about how to get to the Colon archipelago, you should discuss the issue of entry into the country. Any trip abroad for Russians raises the issue of paperwork and visa processing, but not this time. Fortunately, Russian citizens can stay in the country for a period not exceeding 90 days in a visa-free regime.
Let's figure out how to get to the Galapagos Islands. You can reach the territory of the Colon archipelago in only one single way - by plane. In addition, there are no direct flights from Russia, so you will have to take transfers to the USA or in one of the European capitals. The average cost of a one-way flight is about 60 thousand rubles.
The final destination on an international flight will be Guayaquil - the largest city in Ecuador. At the local airport, each tourist will have to pay the established tourist fee equal to 10 US dollars, which in recalculation is about 600 Russian rubles. Next, travelers will expect another two-hour flight to the archipelago with one of the local airlines. The price of the last flight ranges from 10 to 15 thousand rubles.
Upon arrival at the airport of the Galapagos Islands, tourists again have to fork out a bit and pay a tourist fee of $ 100 (6000 rubles).
National cuisine
The Colon archipelago is famous not only for exotic vegetation, rich wildlife and excellent tourist routes, but also for national cuisine. Here, as in any other country, there is its own delicacy called ceviche. This dish will especially appeal to lovers of seafood. What is a ceviche? Local chefs pickle fish and other marine life in lime juice, then carefully season with hot chili sauce and serve along with a side dish, which usually consists of vegetables.
Those who simply cannot imagine their life without first courses are also completely delighted with the local cuisine. The islands serve branded rich meat soups from various parts of carcasses. The Galapagos Islands also boast a variety of exotic vegetables and fruits that Mother Nature herself has awarded them.
Leisure facilities
The most civilized conditions await all travelers in Puerto Ayora, but the island of Santa Cruz boasts an equally interesting choice of hotels. In the Galapagos Islands, every tourist can afford a place to live, the most budget rooms start at $ 15 (900 rubles), and luxury lovers can treat themselves to rented mansions for the entire vacation period.
Do not forget that if you decide to visit this wonderful place, you should adhere to the established rules in order to preserve nature. The territory of the archipelago is a protected national park of the Galapagos Islands. The initiative to move between the islands is better not to take in their own hands, but to entrust this matter to a local guide. By the way, excursions in the Galapagos Islands are very popular among tourists. There are even a couple of local travel agencies in Puerto Ayora. For movement there are specially laid paths, and it is strictly forbidden to make fires and make loud noise in the archipelago. Appreciate the nature!
Colon has the one and only tourist street named after Charles Darwin, which stretches along the coast in Puerto Ayora. All the best hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and an entertainment program are open around the clock in this area. But reviews say that the prices for souvenirs are a bit overpriced, and there’s nothing to choose from for memory. For example, there are T-shirts with the image of local inhabitants, figurines of Darwin and much more.
Season
Many travelers are faced with the question of weather conditions in a certain period of the year. If you decide to spend your vacation on the Pacific coast, on one of the islands that make up the archipelago, you should remember that the season begins here at an unusual time for us. From June to the end of November, cold winds and dry climatic conditions await you at the Galapagos Islands, but in the other half of the year there is a warm and humid climate.
In summer and autumn, the earth warms up to 25 degrees, but cold winds interfere with a good and relaxed rest. Many residents find this period terribly cold, perhaps for the reason that they have never visited Russia. Although in the cool island season you can easily go here. As for winter and spring, these are warm weather conditions, but incessant rains. But despite this fact, this is the best time for tourism, according to reviews. It usually rains in the morning, and it may be lucky that there will be no period at all.
sights
The main attraction awaits all tourists on the islands - mother nature, and on the Colon archipelago it is truly amazing. Here you can meet a centenary tortoise, freely walking along the grass, unknown plants, virgin rocks and much more. All this is quite capable of driving one crazy.
Puerto Ayora Promenade
The main street in Puerto Ayora, running along the Pacific coast of the Galapagos Islands, bears the proud name of Charles Darwin and is an important tourist destination on the archipelago. Here you can find a wide selection of cafes and restaurants, and sometimes a travel agency. Every morning, at the beginning of the street, a seafood sale is organized at the fish market, and in the opposite part of the street there is a city port, from where you can go to neighboring islands.
Puerto Villamil
The promenade of Puerto Villamil, located on the island of Isabella, is significantly different from the capital. It seems to be the same port, picturesque nature and animals, but the atmosphere is completely different. It seems that time has stopped here, and life goes on relaxed and leisurely.
The full name of the embankment is “Melekon”. Also, tourists are given a place under a palm tree in a hammock, where you can contemplate a beautiful view of the beach.
Tours, reviews
As for trips to the Galapagos Islands, it is first necessary to determine the duration of the vacation. No one comes here for one day, because this is an absolutely irrational approach. Only the road from Russia to the archipelago can take more than 24 hours of free time. The ideal duration of the trip can be considered a week, the minimum - three days. Reviews note the fact that traveling on the principle of “one day - one island” is simply physically impossible.
Also, travelers recommend visiting the following places:
- Turtle Farm It is here that thousands of different hundred-year-old turtles are represented, thanks to which the archipelago became famous throughout the world. Each of them is unique in its own way: they differ in size, weight and even the shape of the shell.
- Galapagos caves. As we have already noted, the Colon archipelago consists of several volcanic islands. The catacombs of lava flows have survived to this day and today attract many tourists from around the world.
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