Tourist Guide Galapagos islands
The Galápagos Islands form an archipelago of 13 main volcanic islands, 6 smaller islands and 107 rocks and islets. Situated around the equator in north-western South America, the Galápagos archipelago is part of the country of Ecuador.
Ocean currents primarily determine the weather in the Galápagos. December to June is warm, sunny and rainy, while the other months are cool, cloudy and dry. December is the ideal time to visit.
Their name is derived from the Spanish word for ‘saddle’, after the saddle backed Galápagos tortoises that are one of many species endemic to these islands, which were studied by Charles Darwin and led to his theory of evolution by natural selection.
The inhabitants mainly came here from Ecuador after the Galápagos were discovered; their population was estimated to be approximately 12,000 in 1990.
