Puerto Ayora is one of the biggest cities on the Galapagos Islands and is a bustling tourist hub. Puerto Ayora is in central Galapagos and is home to many restaurants, hotels, boutiques, gift shops, nightclubs, Internet cafes, supermarkets, schools and banks. One of the most notable tourist spots in Puerto Ayora is Academy Bay, which is a lively harbor that is a prime spot for observing golden rays, brown pelicans, frigate birds, lava gulls, marine iguanas and Galapagos sea lions. Another noteworthy attraction in the town is Galapagos National Park, which was founded in 1959. The national park is also home to the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
Darwin Island, which is known in Spanish as Isla Darwin, is one of the tiniest of all of the Galapagos Islands. Named after the British naturalist Charles Darwin, Darwin Island is an internationally renowned diving spot that is full of sea turtles, vibrantly colored fish (everything from blue-spotted jacks and trumpet fish to bigeye jacks) and dolphins. Swimming with creatures is a popular pastime on the island, particularly manta rays, spotted morays, eagle rays and hammerhead sharks. Scuba diving is another popular activity on the island. One of the most well-known landmarks is a stone arch formation that is called Darwin's Arch.
Isabela Island, which is also called Isla Isabela, is the biggest of all of the Galapagos Islands. The name Isabela Island comes from Spanish royalty, Queen Isabella. The island is shaped similarly to a seahorse and is approximately 80 miles long. It is home to a diverse array of flora and fauna and is full of wild tortoises (more so than any of the other Galapagos Islands). Birdwatching is a popular recreational activity on the island, especially for Galapagos hawks, pink flamingos, brown pelicans, blue herons and mangrove finches. Another well-known landmark on the island is El Muro de las Lagrimas, which is a wall that was constructed by jail inmates during the isle's time as a penal colony.
Genovesa Island is a tiny Galapagos isle and shield volcano. Genovesa Island is shaped like a horse, and is home to a collapsed volcanic caldera that formed the Great Darwin Bay, which is nestled within cliffs. It is also frequently referred to as Bird Island due to its many bird colonies, with swallow-tailed gulls, Darwin's finches and tropicbirds. Short-eared owls also reside on the island, but are a rather rare sighting. Diving is a common activity on the island.
