Baltra Island

Baltra is a flat, arid island that works as the main entry point to the Galapagos. The landscape is mostly volcanic rock and scrubby vegetation, left over from when the US military ran an airbase here during the Second World War. The island itself is small and nobody lives here permanently. You disembark and transfer to boats headed for the other islands, which is where the wildlife is. Land iguanas were reintroduced to Baltra in the 2000s after being wiped out during the military years, and you might spot a few near the dock. The Itabaca Channel separating Baltra from Santa Cruz is a short ferry crossing, and most excursions head that way for the Charles Darwin Research Station and the highland tortoise reserves. There's no town here, no shops, no restaurants. Bring water and sunscreen.