The science came first. Everyone has at least some vague notion that Charles Darwin discovered the theory of evolution on the Galapagos Islands. Even if we do not wholly accept his theory, we know that it fundamentally transformed how people view nature, life and even themselves. This alone makes the Galapagos special. But the islands' scientific significance did not end with Darwin's visit in 1835.
Evolution is most apparent in places like the Galapagos, where the environment is stripped bare.
Few plants and animals could reach this oceanic archipelago, which erupted from the sea over the past 10 million years, and fewer still can endure its arid climate and volcanic terrain. Those that do adapt to local conditions and diversify to fill niches not open to them elsewhere. New species evolve in short order. Half of the native plant and animal species are found nowhere else on Earth. The central role played by the Galapagos in Darwin's discovery of evolution makes it a place of continuing interest to biologists.