Galapagos Islands
Galapagos geography
The Galapagos are an isolated group of volcanic islands that lie in the Pacific Ocean on the equator about 90° west of Greenwich. The nearest mainland is Ecuador, some 1000 km to the east, and Costa Rica, almost 1100 km to the northeast.
The land mass of the archipelago covers 7882 sq km, of which well over half consists of Isabela Island, the largest island within the archipelago and the 12th-largest in the South Pacific.
There are 13 major islands (ranging in área from 14 sq km to 4588 sq km), six small islands (1 sq km to 5 sq km) and scores of islets, of which only some are named. The islands are spread over roughly 50,000 sq km of ocean. The highest point in the Galapagos is Wolf volcano (1707m), on Isabela Island.
Most ofthe islands have two - sometimes three - names. The earliest charts gave the islands both Spanish and English names, and the Ecuadorian government assigned ofticial names in 1892. An island can thus have a Spanish name, an English name and an official name. The official names are used here in most cases; the few exceptions will be indicated.
Galapagos climate
The Galapagos Climate can be divided into a hot season (Dec to May), when there is a possibility of heavy showers, and the cool or garua season (June to Nov), when the days generally are more cloudy and there is often rain or drizzle. July and Aug can be windy, forcé 4 or 5. Daytime clothing shouid be lightweight. (Clothing generally, even on 'luxury cruises' should be casual and comfortable.)
At night, however, particularly at sea and at higher altitudes, temperatures fall below 15°C and warm clothing is required. Boots and shoes soon wear out on the lava terrain. The sea is coid July-Oct; underwater visibility is best Jan-March. Sept is the low point in the meteorological year. continues...
Galapagos » Geography
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Galapagos Islands geology
The islands are the peaks of gigantic volcanoes, composed almost exclusively of basalt...
