Galápagos Islands Cruise
O
ne of the best places to go for
animal encounters, Ecuador's Ga-
lápagos Islands—visited by Charles
Darwin in 1835, which inspired his theory of
evolution—are home to some of the most
unique species in the world. So how do
you organize a Galápagos cruise to see sea
lions, blue footed boobies, flamingos, pen-
guins, and giant tortoises?
Tasked with protecting one of the planet's
last remaining pristine wildlife refuges,
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IMAGES
Galápagos National Park keeps visitors off
most of the islands, only allowing excur-
sions to the likes of Isabela, Santa Cruz,
and San Cristobal. However, with around
220,000 visitors per year, Galápagos Na-
tional Park now also limits tourism num-
bers and the types of tourist boats that
are allowed to operate in the area to avoid
overcrowding. Be flexible with dates when
booking, and keep in mind that most visi-
tors come in July and August.