Overview

If you weren't a nature lover before, the Galápagos Islands will surely convert you. The sheer beauty of these islands is astounding, but it's the up-close views of the wildlife and the rare opportunity for intimacy with nature that makes visitors want to return again and again. The Islands, located about 600 miles west of Ecuador, best seen by river cruise are a place for adventurers of all kinds. Once you visit, you will be forever changed.
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Travel Facts

Population
Roughly 18,000

Capital
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal Island

Time Zone
U.S. Central Standard Time minus 1 hour

Currency
U.S. Dollar

Climate
Due to their proximity to the equator, the islands are warm most of the year, however, there is most definitely a hot season, which runs from January to April, and a cool season, from April thru to December. It rains more in the cool season and as a result, the vegetation is greener and the chance of spotting exotic bird-life is greater.

Entertainment & Nightlife

During the day, there is plenty to see and do. Your cruise will likely stop at the Charles Darwin Research Station so you can enjoy the Galápagos tortoises and baby hatchlings. Bird watchers can attempt to spot mockingbirds, blue-footed boobies and, of course, the Darwin finches. For those who wish to snorkel and scuba dive, the waters of the Galápagos are teeming with exotic sealife, so bring your underwater camera! Most of the nightlife in Galápagos, however, will be onboard your ship or at one of the islands' beautiful hotels.

Restaurant and Cuisine Listings

Royal Palm Hotel, Santa Cruz
Many consider this the best place to dine in Galápagos. Choose from Ecuadorian and international dishes and always call ahead for reservations.

Finch Bay Hotel, Santa Cruz
The main draw here is the $19 lunch and dinner buffet. Dine outdoors around the pool when the sun is shining.

Garrapata, Puerto Ayora
You know the food is good when you see the locals lining up to get in. La Garrapata offers up a big selection sandwiches and juices along with fresh seafood and nine different pastas.

Culture & Heritage

Pirates and buccaneers were the main inhabitants of the islands in the 1500's, and by the 1680s, a famous buccaneer, William Dampier and others, used the Galápagos as a base during their attack on the Spanish. Then, in 1842, Ecuador annexed and colonized the islands and not long after, a young naturalist named Charles Darwin and his boat's captain, Robert FitzRoy, arrived on the HMS Beagle. FitzRoy mapped the coastline of the Galápagos with startling accuracy, and Darwin's findings while on the island, inspired his controversial thoughts on evolution.

Famous Galápagosians – The Giant Tortoise

With such a small human population, one might say the most famous Galápagosian is the Giant Turtle. As big as desks, most live to the ripe old age of 100 and are one of the main tourist attractions on the Island.