Although archeological evidence of precolombian visits to the islands have been found, their commonly known history began in 1.535. In this year a Spanish ship lost her course and discovered them by accident. Friar Tomas de Berlanga was on board.

Not long after its accidental discovery and until the beginning of the 19th century, the archipelago became safe shelter and supply stop for English buccaneers and corsairs and French and Dutch sailors.

At the beginning of 19th century the American Navy used the islands in a short commercial war against the English fleet of the Pacific.

In 1832, the Equadorian government officially joined the archipelago to its territory. It was then, when the first permanent human settlements were established. However, plans for agricultural development had only a short lived success. The reason may be the natural limitations of the islands, where only 4 % of the surface is potentially productive for agricultural activities.
Hunting of the huge turtles (named Galapagos in Spanish), which was a relatively easy task and provided a large amount of meat, made the island a mandatory stop for a lot of ships until the beginning of the 20th century.

Charles Darwin was on board of one of those ships, the Beagle. His research about he fauna of the Galapagos would make the islands famous.

During the 20th century the importance of protection and conservation of its biological wealth began to be acknowledged. In 1959, 96 % of the island territory was officially declared National Park. In 1979, UNESCO declared the archipelago World Heritage Site. In 1986, the national government established Marine Reserve over the waters that surround the islands and in 1990 they were declared Whales Sanctuary.