The Galapagos Islands A World Heritage Site The Galapagos Archipelago is a unique world heritage. Situated on the equator some 600 miles off the coast of South America, this remote volcanic archipelago remains much as it was millions of years ago. Over the course of centuries, animal and plant life from the Americas reached the islands and gradually evolved into new forms. Many of its species are found nowhere else on earth. Each of the archipelago's islands has its own character and unique qualities. For example, Santa Cruz Island supports one of the largest human populations of the five islands. Some 4,000 residents are distributed among the cattle communities in the lush highlands and the coastal town of Puerto Ayora. Here you can visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to see the land tortoises, or galapagos, which once greeting Darwin so peacefully.