travel guide: Galapagos Islands

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Galapagos Islands

The enchanted Galapagos Islands are said to be one of the most peaceful and unique place on earth. Tourists find it very lucrative to explore this part of the wondrous islands. Ecuador has one of the most popular national parks which are situated approximately 960 km from the main land. These islands were formed due to volcanic disruption. It is situated on the equator and has a total population of 40,000. The islands are located in South America and the official language spoken here is Spanish. In fact, Galapagos is also a Spanish word that means ‘saddle’.

The island is situated in the Pacific Ocean which is almost one thousand kilometers away from South America. The islands are 19 in number, surrounding numerous marine reserves. The place is also called the iving museum and the showcase of the evolution. Due to active volcanic eruptions and extreme isolation on the islands, a new kind of animal life emerged. For example, the evolution of giant tortoise and land iguana, all based on the Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Even though the island is located on the equator, the water currents bring cold water to the islands, leading frequent drizzles all through the year. From a period of June to November, the temperature of the islands is 22 degree Celsius. The temperature rises up to 2 more degrees from December to May with no winds but heavy rainfall.
Some of the most visited islands are Bartholomew, Culpepper, Hood, Narborough, Charles or Santa Maria, Tower, Ecuador, Bindloe, nameless, Duncan, Abingdon, Jervis, Chatham, Santa Cruz, South Plaza, San Salvado/James, Wenman and some other smaller islands.