A Picture of Paradise in the Galapagos Islands

In 1835, Charles Darwin sailed around the Galapagos Islands on the HMS Beagle, part of a mission to chart this volcanic archipelago located 600 miles west of Ecuador.

Struck by the variation between the animals of the different islands, the British scientist began forming his theory on evolution, which he described in his landmark 1859 book On the Origin of Species.

Today, more than 100,000 visitors trek to Galapagos every year to see the progeny of the creatures that inspired Darwin cavort in their natural habitat. Taking a cruise around the islands offers a trip like none other: The native animals are resplendent, exotic and indifferent to humans.

Natural Paradise

Galapagos, which consists of 13 major islands spread over 28,000 square miles of ocean, is a series of active volcanic peaks. Heavy, iron-rich basalt rock covers much of the landscape. Volcan Wolf, on the island of Isabela, is the highest point in the archipelago, at 5,600 feet above sea level.

While the Galapagos geology is striking, its wildlife is the main attraction. During my week's stay, my family and I saw 36 different species of birds, 40 types of fish and seven varieties of reptiles.

We watched Galapagos penguins watch us, blue-footed boobies perform a ritual mating dance, sea lions playfully blow air bubbles in our face while we snorkeled, bottlenose dolphins swim next to the bow of our ship, sally lightfoot crabs climb impossibly steep cliffs and male frigate birds balloon their crimson chests to attract mates.

At the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island, we even had a chance to visit Lonesome George, a giant tortoise, 60 to 90 years old, who is the only one left of his species. So far, George has not produced any heirs, despite repeated efforts.

Realizing its geologic and biologic treasure, in 1959 Ecuador created the Galapagos National Park. Now, 90% of the islands are protected from development, and many well-marked trails provide exceptional views throughout the park. Most trails are less than two miles long, and are over sand, lava rock or small boulders. You'll need to pay close attention -- you may step right into a pile of marine iguanas, whose coarse black skin matches the color of the dark basalt.

A Week at Sea

Since Galapagos consists of many islands, the best way to get around is by water. We toured on Lindblad Expedition's Polaris, a 237-foot ship with a crew of sixty. A 10-day package -- seven nights aboard Polaris, two nights in Guayaquil, Ecuador, port charges and park entry fees -- is $4,150 to $7,120 per person.