Galapagos archipelago
A miracle of nature
The archipelago was discovered by chance by Bishop Tomas de Berlanga from Panama in 1535. On his trip to Peru he got off course and discovered the Galapagos Islands. The islands were rarely visited and were mainly used as a refuge for pirates. After the arrival of Darwin, who laid the foundation for his theory of evolution here, people started to realise that the flora and fauna on the islands were unique. These days, it is a living laboratory for scientists, naturalists and passionate travellers and it is a privilege if you can visit this magical place.
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Only 3 million years old
All the islands of the Galapagos archipelago are of volcanic origin and actually relatively young, about 2 to 3 million years old. The islands are located on the border of the Nazca and Cocos plates and due to the sliding plates, submarine volcanoes have formed. Today, the peaks form the archipelago. New pieces of land are still being formed.
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Darwin's theory of evolution
It was naturalist Charles Darwin who was the first to see how special the archipelago was. It struck him that there were differences in various species of finches while they lived only 100 kilometres away from each other. He discovered that the finches had adapted to the specific conditions of the islands in order to survive. This was the beginning of his world-famous theory of evolution.
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For the preservation of the islands
In honour of Darwin, the Charles Darwin Research Station has been established. Here, research programmes are carried out in order to better understand the islands with the aim of preserving them in the long term. They are currently breeding and releasing captive turtles and iguanas. During your visit to the Galapagos Islands we definitely recommend that you visit this centre.
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Volcanic landscape
Since the islands only have a volcanic origin, it will not surprise you that you will encounter many volcanoes here. Special are the so-called lava tunnels. During volcanic eruptions on the Galapagos, enormous explosions rarely occur. Rather, the volcanic lakes inside deflate, creating special tunnels, some even have a diameter of 5 meters.
Visit Galapagos Islands?
Would you like to visit the Galapagos Islands yourself and are you curious about the possibilities? Then take a look at the travel itineraries that we have put together for inspiration. You can book these trips directly, but we are also happy to create personal programme based on your wishes and ideas.
Do you have a question? Feel free to contact us. Call +31 73 610 62 04 or send an e-mail to info@sapapanatravel.nl. We are happy to help.