About Galapagos
The Galapagos Archipelago is 1000 km (600 nautical miles) west of the Ecuadorian coast.
The islands rose up six million years ago caused by undersea volcanic activity. The Archipelago comprises 13 major islands, 6 smaller ones and numerous islets, 97% of which are part of the Galapagos National Park. The surrounding waters make up the Galapagos Marine Reserve, the second largest in the world.
Geographically, the islands have a privileged situation, since they don’t lie in the path of big storms or other extreme phenomena so typical of the tropics. The islands are at a confluence of substantial Pacific Ocean currents, which come from the south-east and the north.
This makes it virtually impossible to predict the weather around the islands. In general, December to June are the warmest months (28°C / 82.4°F average temperature); making the islands very lush and green at this time.
Between July and November, it is cooler (24°C/ 75.2°F average), and drier. It is also the “garua” season (local term for light drizzle).
The specific natural conditions of the islands, with their relatively cool waters by equatorial standards, present a very different picture from the usual idea of a balmy tropical paradise.
This is partly why the number of endemic and native species that emerged in Galapagos has no close match.
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