If birds dream of a bird’s paradise this would have been Galapagos. Zillion of birds are in the air at one moment in the Genovesa Island, The island named originally Tower Island by the British privateers is the breeding ground for red footed boobies, the most populous bird in Galapagos but one that could be found only on this island. They share the sky with the elegant frigates of the South Seas displaying occasionally in flight or on land their red balloon looking for a mate.

A similar bird paradise is Espanola for the large population of Galapagos albatrosses, the largest bird in the archipelago with a wingspan of two meters. They come and mate every year in this island always with the same partner. The cliffs are covered by large colonies of marine iguanas looking like they modeled for Godzilla.

Some islands have almost no animals at all. Beside a small a small population of hard-to-spot Galapagos penguins that could be seen by the shore, Bartholome Island is covered by ash, tuff and rope lava from its volcano eruption.

Santa Cruz with the largest human presence is also the land of the giant turtles. At Darwin Center is a turtle breeding ground and in the island’s highlands are farms tending to large turtles.

Floreana Island with its history of German adventurers coming to settle there makes for a jaw-dropping story. Also, in Florena is the Post Office barrel, a place where you can leave a postcard that will be taken later by another visitor and hand delivered without stamps across the world. The way of the pirates.

St Cristobal is the sea lions’ paradise. They lie down and make guttural sounds on the city beaches swimming with locals and travelers. There is even one beach right in the middle of the town of Porto Baquerizo Moreno that is entirely fenced only for them. Nearby Isla Lobos full also of sea lions is another bird paradise populated by blue footed boobies and frigates covering the sky over the island in their flight.