Baltra – Small and flat, north of Santa Cruz. The Galapagos airport with daily service from mainland Ecuador (Quito and Guayaquil). The pier is a short drive from the air terminal.

Santa Fe (Barrington) – Enjoy a walk through Opuntia cacti and Palo Santo forests. Here are land iguanas (endemic to Barrington), lava lizards, and sea lion colonies. Great swimming and snorkelling.

Bartolome – Climb up a wooden staircase to the summit for a stunning view of two beautiful bays. Observe fascinating formations of lava flows and spatter cones. Sea lions and penguins can be seen around Pinnacle Rock. There is a sandy beach for good swimming and snorkelling.

Fernandina (Narborough) – Land at Punta Espinosa and walk among the hundreds of marine iguanas on the black lava rocks. See flightless cormorants, pelicans penguins and mangrove forests.

Espanola (Hood) – Gardner Bay has a coral white sand beach and is home to sea lions and mocking birds. There is swimming and snorkelling at the beach and nearby islets. At Punta Suarez walk on lava rocks along a trail dotted with nests of blue-footed boobies and masked boobies, a colony of marine iguanas (endemic to Hood), waved albatrosses and a blowhole. There are also sea lions, Galapagos doves and Darwin's finches.

Santa Maria (Floreana or Charles) – At Post Office Bay, visit the famous barrel, a do-it-yourself postal service set up by 18th century whalers. Cruise by "Loberia" islet with sea lion colonies. Point Cormorant has an olivine-crystal beach and pink flamingos inhabiting a secluded lagoon. A short walk away is a white sandy beach where sea turtles nest (December to May). Nearby is Devil's Crown with beautiful coral formations and great snorkelling.

Isabela (Albemarle) – This is the largest island of the Archipelago. Tagus Cove is a natural harbour where, centuries ago whalers and pirates left their ships' names painted or carved on the rocks. A walk uphill passes around Darwin's crater salt-water lake for a superb view. A dinghy ride along the shoreline allows views of penguins, flightless cormorants, boobies, pelicans and Sally Light Foot crabs.

Urbina Bay is located at the central-west coast of Isabela Island at the foothills of volcanoes Alcedo and Darwin. Land on a dark volcanic sand beach. Highlights include large and colourful land iguanas. Good possibility of seeing giant tortoises in the wild (all year, numbers vary according to conditions). Along the rocky shoreline, possible sightings of flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies, penguins and large marine iguanas.

Punta Moreno is located in the central southwestern coast of Isabela Island. Spectacular views of volcanoes Alcedo, Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul. Some of the highlights are impressive lava flows from eruptions years ago, desolate, extremely pristine landscape, pioneer plants, and varied arid-zone vegetation.

The main attraction is a compound of small brackish lagoons, an ideal place to see the rare and reclusive gallinules. There are frequent sights of frigates, pelicans and other sea birds doing salt cleansing dives to the lagoon's surface.

Santiago (James) – At Sullivan Bay visit a black sand beach with great swimming and snorkelling. See fantastic lava formations. At James Bay take an easy stroll, observing Darwin's finches and the Galapagos hawk, to the black rock lava formations, home to a fur seal colony.

Rabida (Jervis) – Behind the island's red-sand beach, frequented by sea lions, is a flamingo lagoon. Pelicans and boobies nest in the area. Nine species of finches have been spotted here.

Mosquera – This tiny islet is also called the Loberia for its large colony of sea lions (lobos) who laze in the sun. Warning - during the mating season, and after the pups are born, they become rather touchy with visitors!

North Seymour – See Palo Santo trees, colonies of blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and magnificent frigate birds. On the other side of the island, the waves crash onto the rocks and sea lions play in the surf.

Plaza – A small island packed to its steep-cliffed shoreline with fascinating natural life: sea lions, land iguanas, swallow-tailed gull, Opuntia cactus, and vegetation that changes colour with the seasons.

San Cristobal (Chaltham) – Here is the capital of the archipelago, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, and the airport of the same name. This island is visited on special itineraries only.

Santa Cruz (Indefatigable) – At Academy Bay (Puerto Ayora) is located the Delfin Hotel as well as the Charles Darwin Research Station. Giant tortoises can be seen at the Station and seasonally in the highlands where they graze at local farms. Visit the small town of Puerto Ayora.

Genovesa (Tower) – Darwin Bay, formed by a collapsed volcano, dominates the island. This island is referred to as Birders Island because it is home to thousands of frigate birds, red-footed boobies, noddy terns, lava gulls, tropical birds, doves, storm petrels and Darwin's finches. At Prince Philip's Steps, walk on lava rocks; see a Palo Santo forest full of nesting birds. There is great snorkelling along the cliffs. There is a good possibility of seeing the unique Galapagos owl.