From Quito to the Galapagos Islands We booked an 8-day trip to the Islas Galápagos. These islands are located near the equator, about 1000 km off the west coast of South America. These islands are a province of Ecuador and consist of 127 islands, of which only 4 are inhabited. All of the islands belong to the Galápagos National Park. This is a unique protected nature reserve (since 1959). The islands have been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1978. In 1981, the surrounding ocean was declared a marine reserve. The Galápagos National Park covers 97% of the archipelago. This means that the landscape is protected by strict regulations to preserve the fragile ecosystem. The archipelago consists of 13 main islands and many smaller islands. ...