Galápagos Archipelago Galápagos Islands Topographic and bathymetric map of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. The Galápagos Islands (Spanish: Islas Galápagos) are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Eastern Pacific, located around the Equator 900 km (560 mi) west of South America. They form the Galápagos Province of the Republic of Ecuador, with a population of slightly over 33,000 (2020). Th..