3. Galapagos: Darwin's Eden

Situated 1000 kilometres west of Ecuador in South America, the Galapagos archipelago contains 13 main islands and a hundred or so smaller rocks and reefs. The region’s wilderness is so pristine and rich in life it altered our entire view of the natural world. Gigantic tortoises, sea-swimming lizards and cormorants that have evolved to no longer fly, are just some of the bizarre and unique creatures found here. Human influence has been so limited across the islands it allowed one man, Charles Darwin, to study and rethink the laws of Nature.