Galapagos Islands, Archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, Ecuador

The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of 18 main islands, several smaller ones, and many rocky islets in the Pacific Ocean, belonging to Ecuador's Galápagos Province. Some islands have coastlines of black lava rock, others have sandy beaches, and the interiors range from active volcanoes to dry scrubland and green highland forests.

Spanish bishop Tomás de Berlanga reached the islands by accident in 1535 when his ship drifted off course. They were later used as a hideout by pirates, claimed by various nations, and finally annexed by Ecuador in 1832.

The name "Galápagos" comes from the Spanish word for the giant tortoises found there, first recorded as Insulae de los Galopegos on Abraham Ortelius's 1570 map of the Americas. Early sailors called the islands the "Enchanted Isles" because winds and currents made them hard to navigate. Since 1892 Ecuador's official name for them has been Archipiélago de Colón.

The islands are reached by flights to either Baltra or San Cristóbal airports, both with daily connections from mainland Ecuador. On arrival, luggage is inspected to prevent plants or animals from being brought in that could harm local wildlife.

The islands' official Ecuadorian name is Archipiélago de Colón, given in 1892 for the 400th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage; it still appears on state maps. Earlier, English buccaneer Ambrose Cowley mapped the islands in 1684 and named them after British monarchs and naval officers.