The Galapagos Islands are the crown jewel of the natural world, set along the equator, 600 miles off the west coast of South America. It is almost always sunny and the cool sea breezes create a perfect air temperature that you would not expect on the equator. In the Galapagos Islands there are crystal clear turquoise seas, beaches with pink, volcanic black, powdery white and olive green sands, mangrove lagoons and cactus forests.