The Galapagos Islands are a one-off destination, a provence of Ecuador, considered one of the world’s foremost destinations for wildlife-viewing, with only one luxury eco-friendly uber-chic hotel, The Pikaia Lodge. The 14-room resort is set on an extinct volcano offering all land comforts, while giving guests the best sea excursions aboard the resorts private 100-foot yacht for viewing the wildlife and extraordinary geology island to island along with private cabins to relax, shower and change between scuba diving, hiking and dining alongside the expert multilingual guides.

Well heeled jet-setters from London, Russia, Los Angeles and New York have been enjoying this relativity new resort relaxing and adventuring up close to the sea lions, blue footed penguins and giant turtles, all completely unafraid of humans from years of enjoying the exclusivity, protection and privacy of the islands. Galapagos Pikaia Lodge is similar to those African safari’s that provide you with luxurious comfort, chic style and incredible photo opportunities. chic style and incredible photo opportunities.

The islands are truly most famous for having incited the theory of evolution when Charles Darwin visited for a brief period and then later wrote his controversial book The Origin of Species, altering the scientific view of the biological origins of life forever, and offending many religious followers along the way, his observation of Galapagos species inspired his theory of evolution.

Pikaia Lodge stays true to the islands history and screens nightly films on the vast array of species, discoveries and rich adventures recorded to date. Due to their isolation and position on the equator the Galapagos can be visited all year round with great weather and is incredibly preserved as in 1959, the Government of Ecuador declared all uninhabited areas of Galapagos a national park and it remains protected, it is second only to the Great Barrier Reef National Park of Australia in terms of the size of marine area protected. LAN airlines offers one-stop flights from London, Los Angeles and New York.

7 Wonders of Galapagos

1. Abundant fearless wildlife, visitors can get up close and personal to some of the world’s rarest animals, they are so protected they’ve never known fear. Darwin’s most well-known research is of the numerous species of finches whom inspired groundbreaking evolution theory.

2. The Galapagos was home to the only surviving giant Pinta tortoise, ‘Lonesome George’ who unfortunately died in June 2012, he was 100 years old.

3. The convergence of three major oceanic currents brings an incredible mix of marine life to Galapagos.

4. The endemic Galapagos marine iguana is the only lizard to swim in the ocean.

5. Darwin’s research in Galapagos led to the groundbreaking theory of The Origin of Species.

6. In 1978 UNESCO designated Galapagos as the first World Heritage site.

7. The name ‘galapagos’, an old Spanish word for ‘saddle’, was originally used by Bishop Tomas and his crew to describe the giant tortoises but the name stuck.