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The Galapagos Discovery Find Cheap Airline Tickets to the Galapagos Islands here 500 hundred years ago the Dominican Bishop Tomas de Berlanga accidentally discovered the Galapagos Islands while en route from Panama to Peru. The ship that was taking him to Lima (Capital city of Peru) drifted away at sea on the Pacific Ocean, taken by the ocean currents to The Galapagos Archipelago, arriving there on March 14, 1535. The Galapagos discovery took the Spanish sailors by surprise and they described these unknown lands as the "enchanted isles" as they appeared and disappeared enshrouded in the mist, and the area's gentle winds gave the sensation that the Islands themselves were moving instead of their ships. Bishop Berlanga was known for his political influence in the Spanish Court, and was sent to settle political affairs, including the mediation between two conquistadors Almagro and Pizarro. Tomas de Berlanga (Who's real name was: Tomás Martinez Gómez) was a humanist, religious and adventurer, belonged to a noble family from a province in Spain. On February 23rd 1535, he embarked on a trip southward to Peru with very favorable winds, but on the eighth day a mysterious current pushed them away from the continent and the ship drifted without control to the high seas with no idea that he will be leading the Galapagos discovery. Until March 14, when, after days of anguish, they sighted high lands in the horizon and headed in that direction to arrive to a new and strange land. For two days, they walked and climbed cliffs, craters and rocky outcrops. They tried sucking the fleshy part of cacti to calm their thirst. Everything would strike fear in the lost sailors who thought they had arrived to a bewitching and terrifying land. Tomas de Berlanga upon the Galapagos discovery wrote to the King of Spain the following: "The abrupt landscape is desolate and mysterious, with no signs of human presence; the rocks are sterile, and there is nothing but seals, and turtles and such big tortoises that each could carry a man on their back, and many iguanas that are like serpents. Great masses of volcanic rocks cover the beaches, as if God had rained stones all over! On Passion Sunday, I had them bring on land the things necessary for saying Mass, and after it was said, I again sent the people in two's and three's, over different parts. The Lord deigned that they should find in a ravine among the rocks as much as a hogshead of water, and after they had drawn that, they found more and more. In all, eight hogsheads were filled, and the barrels and the jugs that were brought from the ship". Some historians believe that the Islands visited by Berlanga could have been Isabela and Floreana after his accounts of "high sierras". Most of the Islands in the Galapagos are low and dry. In 1537, Tomas de Berlanga retired from the Diocese, and returned to Spain to found a Dominican convent in his birth town. He gave donations to orphan young girls and funded several chapels. He died on August 8, 1551 and was buried in the main Chapel of the Collegiate in Berlanga, Spain. In the Galapagos Islands, streets and schools bear the name of Berlanga, to evoke the figure of the Friar who first set foot on the Islands and his contribution as a precursor to unite the Atlantic and the Pacific, thanks to its Galapagos discovery. The terrestrial and marine environments in the Galapagos Islands create stunning and unique landscapes that have captivated thousands of tourists and scientists. This Archipelago is considered as a world class scuba diving and snorkeling site. The Galapagos Island are the only place on earth where animals like: birds and reptiles, show total lack of fear to humans. These animals are indeed very friendly and consider you as part of their environment. Recommended Galapagos Reading:Galapagos: The Islands That Changed the World This book is one of the most appealing and true representations of the famous Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. You will see Extraordinary photos coupled with authentic facts about this Archipelago. (It's a well written informative guide) Wildlife of the Galapagos (Traveller's Guide) If you are planning on visiting South America don't forget to visit the "Enchanted Islands" of Galapagos.  Custom Search If you have any questions about the Galapagos Discovery by Tomas de Berlanga or if you'd like to request more information about our recommended Galapagos Holiday Tours to explore this Islands, You can Contact us here
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