Galapagos National Park

Ecuadors Galapagos National Park protects 7,995 sq km of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean roughly 900 km from the South American coast, where Darwin developed his theory of evolution in 1835. The islands harbour 9,000 species with 80 percent of landbirds, 97 percent of land reptiles, and 20 percent of marine species found nowhere else on Earth. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, the park attracts around 275,000 visitors per year.