10 fun facts about the Galapagos Islands
Barbara Zanotelli Rodrigues - Former Travel Expert
In this article, we'll be sharing ten fun facts about the Galápagos Islands.
The islands were the first ever World Heritage Site.
97% of the islands are protected as part of a national park
No evidence exists of any pre-Colombian settlement. The first recorded human to set foot on the islands was the Bishop of Panama in 1535.
The Galápagos Islands were often used by pirates as a hideout, both to store their loot and since the giant tortoises provided a steady supply of food.
Fernandina Island
One minor island is paradoxically called Nameless Island.
The archipelago was named after the giant tortoises found there: Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius named them Insulae de los Galopegos in 1574.
The Galápagos mockingbird was the first creature that Darwin noticed varied from island to island.
The Galápagos penguin is the only penguin that has its natural habitat in the northern hemisphere. Charles Darwin also never spotted any, despite spending five weeks there.
Charles Darwin hated marine iguanas and dubbed them ‘imps of darkness’.
Thanks to two airports and an thriving sustainable tourism industry, visiting the islands has never been easier.
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