Guayaquil: Gateway to the Galápagos Islands
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Guayaquil: Gateway to the Galápagos Islands

All Galápagos-bound travellers pass through Guayaquil — the city serves as the gateway to the world's greatest living laboratory of evolution; the airport, the pre-Galápagos preparations, and the Guayaquil context for understanding the islands make the gateway significant

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    Pre-Galápagos Preparation

    Guayaquil is where Galápagos visitors end their journey - the INGALA transit control card, the baggage inspection (to prevent invasive species) and the pre-boarding biosecurity check at the José Joaquín de Olmedo airport; the preparation reflects the seriousness of Galápagos conservation

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    Darwin's visit in 1835

    Charles Darwin stopped in Guayaquil briefly in 1835 before continuing to the Galápagos — the observations he made on the islands revolutionized biology; the connection between Guayaquil and the intellectual journey that led to On the Origin of Species gives the city a special place in the history of science

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    Galápagos Conservation Context

    Understanding the Galápagos starts with understanding the threats – tourist pressure, invasive species and fishing conflicts are managed from the mainland; The Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galápagos National Park Directorate have offices linking Guayaquil to conservation efforts

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    Natural Heritage of Ecuador

    Ecuador – with the Amazon, the Andes, the cloud forests, the Pacific coast and the Galápagos – is one of the world's most biologically diverse countries per unit area; Guayaquil, as the capital of Ecuador, is the gateway to this extraordinary natural heritage

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    Guayaquil's own wildlife

    Guayaquil itself has remarkable urban wildlife — the black iguanas in Parque Simón Bolívar, the frigatebirds in the mangrove forest, and the abundance of tropical birds in the city's parks make the city a wildlife experience before the Galápagos trip even begins

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    Puerto Marítimo

    The port of Guayaquil—through which the Galápagos' supplies and scientific equipment are shipped—is the islands' logistical lifeline; the cargo ships that leave Guayaquil for Puerto Ayora carry everything that the islands cannot produce locally

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