Ecuador: Galapagos Day 4: Isabela

Isabela is the largest of the Galapagos Islands. Five volcanic craters reaching an elevation of 5,540 feet (1,689 metres), two of which are still active, dominate the island’s centre; hills covered with forests, vines, and orchids separate them from the sandy coastline. Unique to the island to the island are flightless cormorants and penguins. There are also large numbers of land iguanas and a flamingo colony.

Continue ReadingEcuador: Galapagos Day 4: Isabela

Ecuador: Galapagos Day 4: Isle Fernandina

Fernandina is the westernmost island in the Galapagos Islands, the third largest and youngest of the islands, less than one million years old. It is the most volcanically active and sits at the centre of the hot spot that created the Galapagos Islands. There is a short walk around the small peninsula and a longer walk inland to the edge of a large aa lava flow. Punta Espinosa is also one of the best places to see the Lava Cactus. Fernandina is the most pristine of the Galapagos Islands. Two species of the endemic rice rats are found there. Fernandina has a large land iguana population, which nests both on the rim of the caldera and in its depths.

Continue ReadingEcuador: Galapagos Day 4: Isle Fernandina