To embody National Geographic this week, I felt it would be appropriate to make my last blog post of the year about something I love: the outdoors. I’ve written about Italy and beautiful colleges, so to follow the trend, I’ve decided to write about a series of islands that have been largely underrated: the Galapagos. Here are five of my personal favorite aspects and animals about the infamous Ecuadorian islands.

1. Blue Footed Boobies
   • Yes, these are birds with bright blue and turquoise feet, and yes, they populate the Galapagos Islands. The healthier the bird is, the bluer its feet are, which is where they get their unique color from. They can be found on most islands in the Galapagos archipelago.
2. Tortoises
   • When most people think of the Galapagos, they think of its characterizing animal: the giant tortoise. Giant tortoises are native to the Galapagos Islands, and are the largest tortoises in the world.
3. Charles Darwin
   • Charles Darwin came to the Galapagos Islands in the mid-17th century to study his theories of evolution. He used his observations of the islands’ animals to come to conclusions about natural selection and how different species arrived there.
4. Volcanoes
   • Even though the Galapagos Islands only span to about 3000 square miles, they are home to 12 volcanoes. While some of them are small or dormant, some of them are active. Just last year, the Wolf Volcano erupted, which is located at the northernmost part of the archipelago’s largest island and is also, the tallest volcano.
5. Seasons
   • Unlike its North American neighbors, the Galapagos Islands experience only two seasons: the warm, wet season and the cold, dry season. The warm season occurs from December to June, while the cold season spans from June to December. August to September are the coldest months, but because the islands are so close to the equator, it’s difficult to consider them cool months at all.