anchored in this bay.

Onboard was Charles Darwin and he and four companions

were put ashore on this island for a week.

An island that he described as both picturesque and curious.

In Darwin's day it was called James Island.

Today it's known an Santiago.

At almost 600 square kilometres,

it's one of the larger islands in the Galapagos.

Its highest point is 900 metres above sea level.

On Santiago Darwin met two Spaniards

who were hard at work butchering tortoises for their meat.

Together they had an uncomfortable walk across this lava field.

Eventually they arrived at this volcanic lake

where the Spaniards collected salt to use as a preservative.

Darwin was fascinated by local flora and fauna.

He described the Galapagos as a world within itself,

full of creatures that were both curious and remarkable.

The islands were teeming with wildlife.

There were so many land iguanas, for instance,

that Darwin found it difficult to pitch his tent

without covering their burrows.

Today, there are none left on Santiago.

In total Darwin spent five weeks on the Galapagos

experimenting, observing and collecting specimens.

As for tortoise meat, he noted that it tasted particularly good

when roasted in its shell.