The Galapagos Islands is a destination most notable for being a home to various wildlife. It is also famous for being the site that inspired Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution.

With this incredible back story, it is no wonder that plenty of people want to visit this island paradise. That said, we have listed down 14 amazing things you can do on the Galapagos island.

Seeing Frigate Birds

Frigate | Galapagos Islands There is plenty of exciting wildlife in the Galapagos Islands that you can observe when you're there. Thus, visiting the islands is an excellent destination for a massive fan of watching wildlife.

With that said, you want to keep an eye out for a multitude of animals while you're there.

One example of such an animal is the frigate birds. There are two types of frigate birds that you can observe around the islands. There's the magnificent frigate bird and the great frigate bird, and no, we're not just praising these birds.

What makes these animals visibly distinct is that the male frigate birds have a red sac hanging on their throat. When it's time to mate, the male frigate birds inflate these sacs so that they balloon to attract mates. If you time your visits right, you might be able to see these large red sacs ballooning in action.

Snorkeling

Water-based activities are going to be a popular past-time when you're in the Galapagos Islands, and understandably so. Therefore, it makes sense that you should do water-based activities while you're in the Galapagos Islands.

With that said, one popular activity to do here would be to go snorkeling

There is plenty of exciting wildlife and natural sceneries around the islands that you can observe on the ground. However, there are also plenty of interesting natural sights and creatures to see beneath the surface of the water. That's the reason why you should try and go snorkeling.

You can see everything from the iguanas to penguins and even sharks lurking in the depths of the waters.

There are plenty of beautiful spots to go snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands. However, if you want some suggestions, you can try going to the Devil's Crown, Pinnacle Rock, and Tagus Cove, to name a few spots.

Volunteerin

There's nothing wrong with going to the Galapagos Islands to spend some time to relax and enjoy yourself. However, if you're spending a long time there and want to do something more productive and helpful, you can also try volunteering while you're there.

Volunteering will help give you a rewarding experience during your trip. That way, you leave something behind that's important while you're there and not just take something from the islands.

There are plenty of volunteering opportunities available in the Galapagos Islands. However, you must go through the right channels. That way, you know that you're doing volunteer work that is helpful and legitimate.

You can reach out to foundations looking to recruit volunteers to direct you with the correct channels. You can also coordinate with the Galapagos National Park Directorate or the GNDP to learn more about their volunteer programs.

Visit the Famed "The Wall of Tears"

If you're a history buff that wants to know the history of the Galapagos past more intimately, you might want to make a detour to stop by the Wall of Tears.

The Wall of Tears or El Mure de las Lágrimas is a lava rock wall from the island itself. It lies in the middle of nowhere, and it isn't a complete wall.

The wall's creation was a punishment for the convicts on the island to build an arbitrary fence made from the rocks around the island. Locals believe the wall to be haunted by ghosts, so if you're into eerie and creepy historical sites, you must visit the Wall of Tears.

Of course, the Wall of Tears might be something that you go to as a random pit-stop, so you likely won't have a tour guide coming with you.

With that said, make sure to stick to the path because sharp lava rocks and cactus can prick you. It's even more important to stick to the track if you're cycling to get there.

Cruise the Islands on a Private Yacht

If you've got the money and want to travel around the Islands with a significant group of people, it might be worth it to go on a cruise on a private yacht.

It's undoubtedly going to be on the more expensive side. But if you want a luxurious time there with family and friends, a private yacht around the Galapagos Islands is an excellent choice.

You can spend anywhere from five to eleven days on the yacht, depending on your chosen travel itinerary. Your expenditures will also depend on the type of vessel you want to ride in. Of course, your itinerary will also play a factor.

Cruising the islands on a private yacht is a great way to see the island's natural beauty. At the same time, it's also still getting you a relaxing and leisurely vacation.

If that's something you want, you need to save up to get that cruise experience around the Galapagos Islands.

Hike to Tortuga Beach and Tortuga Bay

When you think of traveling to the Galapagos Islands, you often think of water-based activities. However, there are also plenty of hiking trails that you can enjoy on the islands.

One example of an excellent hiking trail that you should try is the hike to Tortuga Beach and Tortuga Bay. You can also pack your hiking poles along with your snorkeling gear when you go to this almost one hour hike. That's because the end of the trail leads you to a beach and a bay.

Both of these destinations are excellent for snorkeling. However, if you don't want to get wet after the hike, that's also fine.

Instead, you can enjoy yourself by admiring the view of the white beach as well as the wildlife living around the area. You can find shorebirds and plenty of marine iguanas swimming along the waters and walking around the beach itself.

Admire the Galapagos Volcanoes

The Galapagos Islands came to be because of volcanoes. Hence, the numerous lava rocks around and the fact that they are volcanic islands. With that said, it makes sense that if you're there, you also consider admiring the Galapagos Volcanoes in the area.

The volcanoes in the Galapagos Islands are one of the world's most active. There are plenty of volcanoes around the island. Some of them have erupted sometime in the last 15 years, too.

One of the most noteworthy volcanoes in the islands is the Sierra Negra Volcano, one of the world's largest caldera-type volcanoes. You can take a day tour to admire this beast of a volcano. You can even go up to the rim and admire the volcanic landscape you find yourself in during the trek.

See Giant Tortoises

Galapagos tortoises As we said before, there are plenty of fascinating creatures that you have to see when you're in the Galapagos Islands. You might even be able to see endangered species there.

One such endangered species worth your admiration and worth your time and effort to see would be the Galapagos tortoises.

The Galapagos Tortoises are the largest tortoise species in existence. They are incredible creatures, especially with their saddle-like shells. Hence, the island is named after them.

The name Galapagos comes from the word "galapago," meaning "saddle."

Admire the Flamingos

Flamingos | Blue Footed Another exciting creature to admire in the Galapagos Islands would be the Galapagos Flamingos.

If you've seen African Flamingos before, you'll see that the Galapagos flamingos are a brighter pink than their African counterpart. Their bright pink plumage is the result of their diet consisting primarily of crustaceans.

When you see the Galapagos Flamingos, you can't help but find your eyes attracted to their beautiful, rosy coloring. If you want to find them, they're all over the islands. However, specific places you might want to look for them in would be around Santiago Island, Isabela Island, Floreana Island, and Santa Cruz.

See the Blue Footed Boobies' Mating Dance

There are plenty of interesting birds around the Galapagos Islands, which is why a lot of avid bird-watchers would love to go on a trip here.

We've covered the bright pink Galapagos flamingos and the unique red sacs of the frigate birds. Up next, another bird with attractive coloring would be the blue-footed boobies.

Aside from the intriguing name that's sure to make the middle-school student in us giggle, the birds also have uniquely blue feet. However, their blue feet aren't the only reason why people want to observe them. It's also because of their mating ritual, specifically their dance.

The Blue-footed boobies mating dance is quite popular amongst tourists because of how it looks. If you get the chance, try to capture it on video if you see them doing their mating dance.

Hike Up the Sierra Negra Volcan

We briefly mentioned how you could hike up the Sierra Negra Volcano, a shield or caldera volcano. This experience is very stimulating and exciting for a lot of avid hikers.

Therefore, if you want to go on a hike while you're in the Galapagos Islands, you should stop by the Sierra Negra Volcano.

It's best to get a guide to go with you and look out for news on any volcanic activity before going on that hike. The Sierra Negra volcano is majestic and grand and worth a trip, but it's still a very active volcano. It even erupted back in 2018, around June to August.

Make sure to read up on the news to understand whether it's safe to hike up Sierra Negra. Once you do, you can enjoy the panoramic view while also peering into the depths of the volcano if you can.

Stay Overnight on One of the Islands

The best way to experience the Galapagos Islands is by going on a cruise because it's a lot easier and more organized. However, you can't experience the full Galapagos scene if you don't try and stay overnight on at least one island there

If this interests you, the best place to do an overnight stay would be at the Magic Camp Tortoise Reserve. As it says in the name, it's a Galapagos Tortoise Reserve. This means that you can also spend some time admiring the Galapagos Tortoise that gave the islands its name while you're there.

Staying overnight is a great option to help you relax and take a slower pace while admiring the scenery around you.

Discover the Lava Tunnels

When they erupted, the volcanoes created lava tubes or lava tunnels around the mountainside from their explosions. Tourists can now walk through these tunnels and experience a unique geological phenomenon themselves.

There will be tight spots that you have to go through, so you shouldn't do this if you have claustrophobia. Otherwise, it can make for an exciting experience if you go through some of these lava tunnels around the Galapagos. Plus, the story of their creation is interesting enough for a go at it.

Besides not having claustrophobia, you need to be agile enough to get through some parts of the tunnel. It will depend on the lava tunnel that you're going through.

Go Kayaking on Fernandina Island

Aside from snorkeling, another water-based activity that you might enjoy in the Galapagos would be kayaking. Fernandina Island, specifically the Punta Espinosa, is a great place to go kayaking.

This particular beach has many marine iguanas around that it will be difficult to distinguish the iguanas from lava rocks. That's why it might be better to go kayaking here so that you don't risk stepping on some of the marine iguanas relaxing in this part of the Galapagos.

You can also kayak to enjoy the rock formations, other marine creatures, and other unique sights. Plus, you also get your body moving while you're at it.

Conclusion

The Galapagos Islands is undoubtedly a beauty carved from nature. There's no other place like it, born from fire and ash atop the blue waters.

The Galapagos Islands certainly have a place in people's travel bucket list. More so that there are plenty of activities to do while you're there.

If you are looking for your next travel destination, consider the Galapagos Islands, and try the activities listed above.

Galapagos Travel Blog

14 Amazing Things to Do in the Galapagos Islands