The Galapagos Islands are a small archipelago of volcanic islands belonging to Ecuador in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The islands are quite remote and isolated, lying some 1000 km (620 miles) west of the South American continent. The archipelago is world renowned for its unique island ecosystem which was the inspiration for Charles Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection. Seeing the amazing sites and wildlife is best done by joining a boat tour. Booking a Galapagos Islands cruise with a company in your home country is usually the most convenient, but is often more expensive. There are also a lot of companies that can book Galapagos Islands tours either in Puerto Ayora or from Guayaquil or Quito.