Reward yourself with an adventure of a lifetime expedition to islands born of fire, the Archipelago of Galapagos. Witness one of history’s greatest scientific discoveries by experiencing the extraordinary power of nature to adapt to its environment: evolution.

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, this remote Archipelago of 18 islands and more than 100 small islets lies around 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. Its proximity to the equator, volcanic activity, and influence from three ocean currents (Humboldt, Panama, and Cromwell) created a distinctive set of environmental conditions that allowed for a unique land and marine ecosystems to develop over the course of four million years.

The Galapagos Islands were created as a result of centuries of volcanic eruptions caused by the gradual movement of the Nazca tectonic plate. Today, each island offers a different landscape, from mountainous terrains scattered with shield volcanoes and lava fields, arid zones covered with endemic cacti, to beautiful white-sand beaches and turquoise waters. The Galapagos Islands represent the world’s richest marine biosphere reserve.

What sets the Galapagos truly apart is the remarkable levels of endemic plant and animal life, more than anywhere else in the world. Nearly 80 percent of land birds and mammals, over 90 percent of reptiles, more than 30 percent of plants and around 20 percent of marine life are native to the Galapagos Islands.