Galapagos

Gap year Galapagos

If nature or wildlife are one of your interests, this small archipelago off the coast of Ecuador is a gap year destination with unique treasures. The Galapagos Islands have had a colossal effect on science and human history, and fortunately that’s likely to continue since the unique species of animal that inspired Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species when he landed here in 1835 are carefully protected. That means access is restricted, but it certainly doesn’t mean that in your gap year you can’t follow in the footsteps of the great man and be inspired as he was.

Adventure travel Galapagos

The main attraction in the Galapagos is the unique wildlife, but the islands’ extraordinary properties mean diving is a popular adventure travel occupation. You’ll be down under with hammerheads and manta rays and all the time surrounded by animals extraordinarily unaffected by the presence of humans.

Student travel Galapagos

As a student traveller, you don’t have to be a science specialist to find much to marvel at in the Galapagos: marine iguanas sneezing salt spray, giant tortoises, penguins (this is travel in the Equator, remember), albatrosses throwing themselves off cliffs in order to raise their vast wings into the air, sea lions lazing on beaches in vast schools. It’s like walking through a nature documentary.

Volunteer work Galapagos

The best way to learn about the Galapagos is to get involved with volunteer work. You can help conservation projects in one of the most specialised and important wildlife reserves in the world, or teach English to underprivileged children on the islands.