The Galapagos Archipelago is made up of 13 major islands and numerous smaller islands, islets and rocks, with four of the islands inhabited by humans: Floreana, Isabela, San Cristobal and Santa Cruz.
Floreana
Floreana has a fascinating human history and many endemic species, but it is also the island that has been most altered by the presence of humans.
Isabela is one of the youngest islands in the Archipelago, volcanically active and home to endangered endemic species including the mangrove finch, Galapagos penguin and flightless cormorant.
Santa Cruz is the second largest island in Galapagos and is home to the largest town, Puerto Ayora, along with the Charles Darwin Research Station and iconic species including the giant tortoise.
The small, flat island of Baltra is home to the main airport in Galapagos, and offers most tourists their first glimpse of the Archipelago’s unique wildlife.
Daphne Major is a barren, treeless little island to the north of Santa Cruz, with access restricted to those with a special permit from the National Park.
Darwin is the northernmost island in the Galapagos Archipelago and is known for its spectacular abundance of marine life, including large schools of scalloped hammerhead sharks.
Española is the southernmost of the Galapagos islands and is home to a number of endemic species, most notably the magnificent waved albatross, which nest here in their thousands.
Fernandina is the youngest island in the Archipelago and the most volcanically active, still virtually pristine and home to iconic species such as marine iguanas and Galapagos penguins.
The horseshoe-shaped island of Genovesa, formed from a collapsed shield volcano, is often referred to as the ‘bird island’ thanks to the abundance of bird species that nest on the top of its cliffs.
Marchena is the largest of the northern islands, uninhabited and off-limits to tourists. It is home to a number of endangered species, and the surrounding waters are rich in marine life.
These tiny, crescent-shaped twin islands are situated just off the east coast of Santa Cruz, and South Plaza is the only place in Galapagos where land and marine iguanas interbreed.
North Seymour is a small island in the centre of the Galapagos Archipelago, home to significant populations of seabirds such as blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds.
The island of Pinta has suffered significant ecological damage due to human activity, and was famously the home of Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his species who sadly died in 2012.
Although Pinzon lies at the centre of the Galapagos Archipelago, the island receives few visitors, and is slowly recovering from the damaging effects of invasive species.
Santa Fe is one of the oldest islands in the Archipelago, estimated to be at least four million years old, and has its own endemic species of land iguana.
Although uninhabited, Santiago has a fascinating human history, and its flora and fauna have been dramatically impacted by the introduction of invasive species.
Wolf is one of the most remote islands in Galapagos, situated in the far north of the Archipelago, and is well known to divers thanks to its abundant marine life.