The Galapagos Islands are not exactly on the beaten trail. Located 600 miles west of Ecuador, these pristine islands are some of the most beautiful and natural in the world. The islands, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, were made famous by Charles Darwin`s expedition in 1835 and the subsequent publication of his book, "On The Origin of Species by Natural Selection" in 1859.

There are 13 larger islands and 6 smaller ones that make up the Galapagos Archipelago, which is now a National Park. In addition to this, Wolf and Darwin Island are typically clumped together with the rest of the Galapagos Islands, despite being slightly removed from the rest of the archipelago. Volcanically formed, these islands along with the many islets and other submerged formations are made almost entirely of solidified igneous rock.  The best way to explore the untouched beauty of the Galapagos Islands is on a liveaboard vessel.

Due to the remote location, the Galapagos islands see very few visitors other than the occasional dive boat or naturalist tour.  The climate is tropical due to the islands being situated directly on the equator, which means the islands are very warm and humid all year round thus allowing continual service of liveaboards.  December to May offer warmer waters, calmer seas and the occasional rain shower, whereas June to November are colder and drier months when the winds and currents can be stronger. The latter typically offers better visibility and more shark action. August thru November is the prime time for whale shark encounters.

The Galapagos Islands are a great way to enjoy the beauty of nature, both above and below the water’s surface. Each dive trip also offers some land excursions to see the land and marine iguanas, giant land tortoises, many rare bird species (like the blue and red footed boobies), penguins, marine turtles.

These islands are a dream for photographers - both above and below water.

The islands that offer the best diving are Wolf and Darwin Island. Located to the northwest of the others, these two see very little tourism yet host some of the worlds most exotic species, some indigenous to only these islands. Although only recommended for advanced divers due to the strong currents, these sites are a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those up to the challenge. Off the coast of Darwin island divers will find several sites, each with their own unique characteristics. Typically these locations do not host many forms of coral, but the real sight is the incredibly diverse and unique marine life that teem in these waters. Darwin is a great place to see whale sharks, countless eels, and even pods of dolphins. Wolf island offers a small array of soft corals along the sandy floor. Watch out for drift as the currents are strong here, although this also makes for sightings of hammerheads, tuna, and even an occasional orca.
Moving back into the Galapagos Islands themselves, divers should take a gander at the North Plaza. Situated just to the east of Santa Cruz, it hosts many sea creatures, although the most exciting feature would be the masses of playful sea lions that will get up close and personal with any lucky diver that explores the site. There are many other sites surrounding the islands of Santa Cruz and Santiago as well, such as Cousins Rocks, to the north of Santiago. Most live-aboards stop here due to the interesting variety of invertebrates and large schools of sharks that glide by.

To get to the Galapagos Islands one needs to fly to mainland Ecuador first (either Quito or Guayaquil) and connect from there to either San Cristobal or Baltra on Santa Cruz.  This also means that you can combine a trip to the Galapagos with some great options in Ecuador: explore the Amazon basin, the colorful Indian markets, the mountainous regions, or why not add on a trip to Peru's Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas?