The reason that you travel to the Galapagos Islands is primary to experience their unique flora and fauna and, of course, to swim and snorkel the turquoise waters and enjoy white sand beaches. Going on a Galapagos Islands tour and taking a vacation in these enchanted isles is exciting and the best way to see the islands. The Galapagos are an archipelago of several volcanic islands located in the Pacific Ocean, about 650 miles west of Ecuador.
The archipelago has been known by many different names, including the "Enchanted Islands" because of the way in which the strong and swift currents made navigation difficult. Superbly remote yet surprisingly easy to get to, the Galapagos is a world within itself, with the odd creatures that populate this isolated world filling every niche around you. Giant Galapagos tortoises grunt in distant highlands. Prehistoric marine iguanas spit their salty spray. Flightless cormorants and tiny penguins dart through the surrounding waters. Red-billed tropicbirds screech across the sky.
A new day in the Galapagos Islands begins with the wildlife symphony. Enjoy up-close views of specially-adapted animals, plants and terrain. Standing on recent lava flows or looking into huge volcanic calderas, gives you a sense of awe. Observing then the unique fauna and flora which settled and survived on those islands by adapting to a new and hostile environment, lets you appreciate the greatness of the Creator.
The Galapagos Islands are one of only a few places in the world where animals have not developed any natural fear of man and so can be observed easily from a close distance. With a Galapagos naturalist at your side, you can set out each day in the early morning or afternoon, to remarkable ecosystems where the wildlife is most abundant and active. Inching your way past lounging iguanas and sea lions, scouting for breaching whales offshore and pink flamingos at hidden lagoons, you admire the strangeness of the Galapagos creatures on these desolate volcanic isles.
You can have your Galapagos vacations designed for you in such a way that it will allow you to enjoy the Galapagos from different perspectives: guided hikes, relaxing beach walks, snorkeling and swimming. The islands are visited daily and the visits always involve a leisurely hike in a small group led by your own naturalist guide, allowing you to experience close encounters with nature. For the ultimate delight, cruise the Galapagos Islands aboard a small, deluxe yacht, walk among the islands' teeming wildlife, paddle sea kayaks in serene mangrove lagoons, and snorkel the turquoise waters with sea turtles, penguins, and sea lions.
On a Galapagos cruise you'll see it all in style from aboard a small, deluxe 12 to 16 passenger motor or sailing yacht. The cruise disembarks on numerous islands, giving you the opportunity to see volcanic landscapes; chuckle with delight at the antics of dancing blue-footed boobies and inquisitive mockingbirds; paddle sea kayaks in serene mangrove lagoons, and snorkel the waters.
Your visit to the Galapagos will be all that you've ever dreamed of.