The Galápagos Islands have long symbolised evolutionary ingenuity, typified by Darwin’s finches. However, the recent incursion of avian parasites, most notably the invasive fly Philornis downsi ...

After revelling in my 4-night cruise in the Galapagos Islands with Viva Expeditions, my dreamscape experience aboard La Pinta concluded with one final port call at Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz Island.

Of the 9,000 species here, many are unique to the Galapagos. Fauna consists of fish, birds and reptiles — like the islands’ famous giant tortoises; there are no land mammals.

Galápagos Bird-watching is ranked #6 out of 12 things to do in Galapagos Islands. See pictures and our review of Galápagos Bird-watching.

Kiyoko Gotanda When Darwin got to the Galapagos Islands, he actually wasn’t that interested in the finches – they were kind of a drab colour and didn’t have a very interesting song.

El Chato Tortoise Reserve (Santa Cruz Island) is ranked #5 out of 12 things to do in Galapagos Islands. See pictures and our review of El Chato Tortoise Reserve (Santa Cruz Island).

The Galápagos Islands include 13 large islands, though only four have permanent residents: Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela, and Floreana. These islands are best known for wildlife found ...