DESTINATIONS IN ECUADORHere you can find a description of the different regions in Ecuador. Highlands - Coast - Rainforest - Galápagos GALÁPAGOS-ARCHIPELAGOGalápagos - Travel Season - what to bring
The worldwide famous archipelago is situated about 1000km west of the Ecuadorian mainland and is rightly called one of the last paradises of the planet. With its fascinating flora and fauna the Galápagos Islands seem like an 'Ark Noah' where you can rediscover the traces of the evolution. The English explorer Charles Darwin reached the Islands in September of 1835 and has gained new findings, by observing the Darwin-finches named after him, in the area of evolution biology, which revolutionised the world and human view. A first report about the discovery of the archipelago has been given by the Spaniard Tomas de Berlanga who arrived on the Islands by coincidence. It was only in 1570 that the Islands have been given their name by the Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius who named them after the giant tortoise of Galápagos (span.: galágapo). Galápagos Island have been originated through the interplay
of plate movements and hot spots and warm zones in the inferior
earth's mantle from which time and again hot magma rises into the
earth's crust. The Islands therefore are an oceanic plateau made
of volcanic material. Moreover, there still exists volcanic activity
on the Islands. Since then the Islands attract more and more tourists from all over the world. The charm of the Islands arises above all out of the unique wildlife and plant species. A great part of the plants and animals are endemic, which means that they only exist on the Galápags Islands. Beside bizarre landscapes also Galápagos tortoises, the flightless cormorant, the blue-footed booby, frigates, the Galápagos albatross, earless lizards, sea lizards as well as sea lions are attractions of the Islands. To mention here is that the animals are unusually trusting and not at all shy, however, it is justifiably not permitted to touch them. You can circumnavigate the Islands aboard of various cruise ships, for example luxury cruisers, smaller yachts or sportive catamarans. Furhtermore, you have the opportunity to book combined tours, that is the steady accommodation in a hotel on one island and respective day trips to other islands. Specially trained naturalist guides supply you with scientific sound information about the origination as well as the flora and fauna of the archipelago.
Please read more about the Galápagos islands on the homepage of the Charles Darwin Forschungsstation or on Galápagos 2000.de.
The Galapagos Islands have a sub-tropical climate with two seasons:
the rainy season and the dry season. Ocean currents are largely
responsible for the climate of the islands.
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