The Galápagos Islands lie in isolation mid-Pacific on the Equator. They form part of the Andean Republic of Ecuador but, since they are the peaks of gigantic submarine volcanoes, they have never been part of the mainland.
Over many millennia, animals and plants came to adapt to this special environment, and to develop differently from their continental brothers: it was here that Darwin came up with his theory of evolution.
Apart from sea-lions, no large mammals ever reached the islands, so birds and reptiles have remained dominant - as they had once dominated the Earth aeons before.
These beautiful islands are conserved in a natural state with forest-clad mountains, lagoons fringed by tangled mangroves, rocky cliffs encrusted with lava and white sand beaches.
You can visit the islands by cruise or staying in hotels and doiong day trips.
To reach the islands you have to take a 2-3.5hr flight by commercial jet from Quito or Guyaquil. Once there you can embark on a cruise around the archipelago or enjoy a land-based stay at one of the hotels. Most visitors opt for a week-long cruise (cruises from 2012 will be from 4 to 15 days duration) where ships and yachts drop anchor to visit several different islands but you can also make excursions from land-based Galápagos Island hotels or combine the two. Journey Latin America offers a large range of vessels and cruises to choose from, we can help you find the right one for you.
We also offer escorted group tours which incorporate a Galápagos cruise in a holiday to Ecuador or Peru.