On our hike to Las Grietas on Santa Cruz Island, we walked by an unusual-looking lake. It had a lot of algae floating in it, which looked kind of like large blobs of broccoli soup. Our guide, Bolivar, told us that it was a salt lake. This was the first time I saw a salt lake. In…
Ecuador is famous for its volcanoes. And the Galapagos Islands were formed by volcanic activity. How many volcanoes are on the Galapagos Islands? And what type of volcanoes are they? There are 21 emergent Galapagos Islands volcanoes. Only Wolf and La Cumbre volcanoes are active; the other 19 are dormant or extinct. These Galapagos volcanoes…
If you’ve traveled to Ecuador or are interested in it’s culture or cuisine, you’ve probably heard of horchata. Maybe you even tried this herbal tea during your travels in South America and you want to recreate the experience at home. Learn about Ecuador’s pink horchata tea: ingredients, recipe, health benefits, origins, and caffeine content. This…
While the animals are the biggest draw for most Galapagos visitors, the beaches are often where they are seen. They are often seen resting, feeding, or playing on the beach. Or you’ll enter the beach to swim and snorkel with them. Here are the best Galapagos beaches by their island. We’ll begin with the beaches…
As you plan your trip to the Galapagos Islands, you’ll read about Baltra Island. What can you do on Baltra Island and how do you get there? In this guide, you’ll learn everything for planning your Galapagos trip, via Baltra Island. Baltra Island is one of two primary entry points for travelers. On our three…
Galapagos Islands’ names can be confusing. Almost every one of the Islands has at least two names: Spanish and English. Most of the names aren’t translations, but totally different names. Because the Islands belong to Ecuador, a Spanish country, we will refer to them by their Spanish names. Many islands in the Galapagos Islands have 2 (or…
What comes to your mind when you picture an armadillo? Perhaps you picture a cute little rolly-polly creature. Today we are going to talk about giant armadillos. While they are cute, they are not little. Here you’ll learn everything you need to know about the giant armadillo. We’ll also talk about its bigger, but extinct,…
While exploring the Galapagos Islands we came across some Darwin’s cotton. I had never seen a cotton plant before (not much cotton is grown in Canada) the only cotton I was familiar with was what comes in plastic bags at the beauty counter in the pharmacy or grocery store. I was surprised to see how…
How many volcanoes are in Ecuador? You would think that would be a pretty straightforward question. But as I was doing my research I found that the answers were very different depending on which website I was looking at. The statistics provided in this article are from the Geophysical Institute (Spanish site) in Ecuador. They…
Thinking of visiting the Galapagos Islands? The archipelago is famous for its animals, diving, and rugged terrain. In this article, we’ll “dive” into Galapagos Islands facts, including the fascinating geography, history, flora, and fauna of these beautiful islands. Galapagos Geography and Climate 1. Where are the Galapagos Islands located? The Galapagos Islands are located in…