The Galapagos Islands – A List of the Islands and Their Features

Here you will find a list of the main Galapagos Family Island Cheats and some general information on the size and types of species found on each.

1.Baltra (South Seymour) Island – Also known as South Seymour, Baltra is a small flat island near the center of the Galpagos. Baltra Airport is one of two airports. Private planes fly to Baltra, as it is the only airport with facilities for planes overnight. A small bay accommodates the boats awaiting passengers for the cruises of the Galapagos.

2. Bartolome (Bartholomew) Island – A volcanic islet just off the east coast of Santiago Island. One of the “younger” islands. This island is one of the few that is home to the Galapagos penguin, the only wild penguin species to live on the equator. The green turtle also resides on the island.

3. Darwin (Culpepper) Island – Named after Charles Darwin. It has an area of 1.1 square kms. Fur seals, frigates, marine iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, sea lions, whales, marine turtles, and red-footed and Nazca boobies can be seen here.

4. Espanola (Hood) Island – Named in honor of Spain and also known as Hood, after Viscount Samuel Hood. It is 60 square kms and the oldest and most southern of the islands (approx 3.5 million years). Due to its remote location, the island has a large number of its own species of lava lizard, mockingbirds and tortoise.

The marine iguanas exhibit a distinct red coloration change during the breeding season. It is the only place where the waved albatross nests. The islands steep cliffs are a perfect place for birds to take off for their ocean feeding grounds. Espanola has two visitor sites. Gardner Bay for swimming and snorkeling, offers a great beach. Punta Suarez has migrant, resident, and endemic wildlife.

5. Ferandina (Narborough) Island – Named in honor of King Ferdinand 11 of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. An area of 642 square kms The youngest and westernmost island. Hundreds of marine iguanas gather, mainly on black lava rocks. The famous flightless cormorants inhabit this island, as do Galapagos penguins, pelicans, Galapagos sea lions, and Galapagos fur seals. Here you can see lava flows and mangrove forests.

6. Floreana (Charles or Santa Maria) Island – Named after Juan Jose Flores, the first President of Ecuador. It has an area of 173 square kms. One of the first to be inhabited. Flamingos and green sea turtles nest on the island. The Galapagos petrel, a sea bird, is found here. At Post Office Bay, whalers kept a wooden barrel that acted as a post office for mail. An underwater volcanic cone and coral formations can be found at the “Devil’s Crown”.

7. Genovesa (Tower) Island – Named for Genoa, Italy where Columbus was born. An area of 14 square kms. This island is the edge of a large submerged crater. Nicknamed “bird island” for the many rare birds that can be seen there. There is a large Palo Santo forest.

8. Isabela (Albemarie) Island – Named in honor of Queen Isabela. With an area of 4,640 square kms it is the largest island of the Galapagos. The island was created by the merging of six large volcanoes into a single land mass. Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, pelicans and Sally lightfoot crabs abound. The island has an interesting lowland vegetation. The 3rd largest inhabited island, and the only island to have the equator run through it.

9. Marchena (Bindloe) Island – Named after Fray Antonio Marchena, it has an area of 130 square kms. Home of Galapagos hawks, sea lions and the Marchena lava lizard, an endemic animal.

10. NorthSeymour Island – Named for Lord Hugh Seymour, an English Nobleman. It has an area of 1.9 square kms. Formed by a geological uplift, it is home to numerous species of birds. North Seymour is an extraordinary place for breeding birds.