Galapagos Islands Holidays

Bartolomé: One of the most-visited islands, Bartolomé is an extinct volcano with many interesting geological features and a semi-lunar landscape. The famous Pinnacle Rock, seen in countless photos, is actually a tuff cone - a column of hardened volcanic ash formed when molten rock fused together after coming into contact with seawater. It's possible to swim with Galápagos Penguins here, and the island is home to sea lions, nesting marine turtles and White-tipped Reef Sharks.

Española (Hood): The southernmost island of the chain, Española is also the oldest. As it is relatively isolated from the other islands, it has developed its own endemic fauna, including the only marine iguanas which change colour in order to attract mates during the breeding season. The island is the favoured breeding ground for almost the entire world population of waved albatross due to its easy access to prime fishing grounds and the steep cliffs which provide an ideal place for the large birds to take off. There are also large colonies of mockingbirds, boobies, Darwin Finches and doves, as well as the sea lions which surf the breaking waves.

Fernandina (Narborough): The third-largest island, Fernandina is an active shield volcano which is noted for its fine examples of Aa and Pahoehoe lava flows. The ecosystem on Fernandina is remarkably untouched, and the island has never been invaded by foreign species and predators. As a result, the cormorants here had no real need to fly in order to find ample fish stocks, and gradually evolved into flightless birds with small wings and feet which are extremely well adapted to swimming. Land iguanas have also flourished due to the lack of predators, and the island is home to the largest colony in the Galapagos.

Floreana: One of the first islands to be inhabited, the human history of Floreana is as interesting as its natural history. At Post Office Bay, 18th century sailors (and now tourists) left mail in a wooden barrel so it could be picked up by other ships and delivered to its final destination. It's still common practice for visitors to see if there are postcards or letters from their home town and deliver them on their return from the Galapagos. Notable wildlife on the island includes large flamingo colonies, the Galapagos Petrel and, between December and May, nesting Green Turtles. Just off Floreana's coast is the Devil's Crown, an underwater coral-filled crater which offers some of the best snorkelling on the islands.

Genovesa (Tower): Renowned for the sheer number of birds living on its volcanic cliffs, Genovesa is a true paradise for bird watchers. There are large populations of Red-footed Boobies, Storm Petrels, frigate birds, tropic birds and nocturnal Swallow-tailed Gulls. Prince Philip's Steps lead to a plateau where the visitor is almost totally surrounded by different species of birds. It's not just the land that provides a great natural habitat - the nutrient rich waters make for great snorkelling.

Isabela (Albemarle): The largest island in the archipelago and one of the most volcanically active, Isabela was formed when six volcanoes merged together. The lunar landscape of its interior is perfect for an unusual trekking experience, and the island's cloudforest is home to five distinct subspecies of the giant Galapagos tortoise. Marine life here is rich and varied, and it's possible to see stingrays, White-tipped Reef Sharks and turtles in the mangroves and submerged lava tunnels, as well as playful dolphins and the odd glimpse of breaching humpback whales.

North Seymour: A tiny island with a massive sea lion colony and a very large colony of frigate birds - it's one of the best places to see the males displaying their bright red pouches during mating season. You may also get to see one of these relatively agressive birds performing some aerial tricks as they steal food from boobies or gulls.

San Cristóbal (Chatham): The islands' provincial capital, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, is on San Cristóbal, and the town is home to the excellent Galapagos Interpretation Centre. Popular sites for vistors to the island include El Junco lake (one of the archipelago's few freshwater lagoons), Frigatebird Hill (unsurprisingly named for the large colonies of Magnificent and Great Frigatebirds), and Kicker Rock, a towering split rock which rises over 100 metres from the ocean. The highland cloudforests provide a natural habitat for giant tortoises.

Santa Cruz (Indefatigable): Home of the Charles Darwin Research Station, which conducts tortoise research programmes and is heavily involved in the management and conservation of the islands along with the national park authorities. The tortoise Lonesome George, the last-known of his subspecies, lives at the research station. The Santa Cruz highlands are much greener than the dry lowlands of the other islands and are home to freely-roaming groups of tortoises. In common with the rest of the group, Santa Cruz has many interesting volcanic features such as pit craters and lava tunnels, and there is also a noted flamingo lagoon at Cerro Dragón.

Santiago (James): Around 30 to 40 thousand fur seals live on the islands, and the majority can be found on Santiago close to Puerto Egas, either on the rocks or on its black beaches. The island is also a good place to see Galapagos Hawks and Darwin Finches, and the snorkelling is very interesting - as well as having coral reefs there is the added pleasure of swimming with turtles and playful sea lion pups.

South Plaza: A tiny island formed of lava and carpeted with a layer of opuntia cacti and sesuvium plants which give it a luxurious red surface. There is abundant birdlife on South Plaza (including tropic birds and Swallow-tailed Gulls), as well as a large number of land and marine iguanas which feed on the cacti.