The Galapagos National Park (Parque Nacional Galápagos), founded in 1959 and started operating in 1968, is Ecuador 's first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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| Galapagos National Park |
To the west of the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean is a large group of islands of volcanic origin. These are the Galapagos - 13 large islands and more than a hundred small rocky islets scattered in the ocean. Most of these islands are part of the Galapagos National Park, and the marine area around them has been declared a marine conservation area. The Galapagos are a province of Ecuador, four islands - Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Isabela and Floreana - are inhabited.