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Why Galapagos Islands Must Be In Your Travel Bucket List

View from Bartolome Island

Have you ever heard of Las Encantadas, commonly known as The Enchanted Archipelago in Ecuador? About 600 miles from Ecuadorian shores, multiple coasts with an exceptional archipelago have amazed visitors with their great wildlife spectacles and breathtaking shallows. This group of 19 islands is today known as the Galapagos Islands.

Visitors to these islands have considered it a well-loved tourist destination for all the right reasons. This archipelago consists of 19 islands and a dozen rocks and islets. There are plenty of exciting activities in Galapagos Islands for all age groups, ranging from contemplative to daring.

Besides that, you’ll see the best of animals and nature itself.

So, what are the places to see, animals to meet, and adventures to experience in Galapagos Islands? Why should you travel to this isolated part of the globe? Why should you put the Galapagos Islands on your list of places to visit? Read on and find out.

View from Bartolome Island

View of two beaches on Bartolome Island in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador

1. Diverse Array Of Flora and Fauna

The Galapagos Islands are a naturalist’s paradise, with a rich array of flora and fauna. This includes unusual plants and animals such as gigantic cactus, passerine birds, flightless seabirds, and the famous giant tortoise, which lives for a hundred years and is the world’s oldest surviving vertebrate. There might even be a ‘great-grandpa’ turtle hatched during Charles Darwin’s exploration of the islands.

2. Awe-Inspiring Geology

The Galapagos Islands are a natural wonder. In a broader sense, these islands are comparably new. Rumor is that Isabela and Fernandina, the biggest islands, are less than one million years old. They were formed on the seabed when three tectonic plates collided, resulting in volcanic activities happening to this day.

3. Breathtaking Underwater World

There are over 2,900 kinds of marine creatures on the Galapagos Islands, with 25% of them endemic or existing nowhere else on the planet. The most prominent ones are the Galapagos penguins (which are species endemic to the Northern Hemisphere), saltwater iguanas, whales, Galapagos sea lions, whale sharks, and hammerhead sharks.

4. Interesting History

If you’re curious about who first arrived on the islands, if it was the hummingbirds, fugitives, pirates, or sailors, the islands’ human history could interest you.

Charles Darwin, a young geologist and enthusiastic naturalist, was the first to arrive on the Galapagos Islands. Darwin was in…

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