Lying 970 km (600 miles) west of the Ecuadorian coast, at the Equator line, the Galapagos Islands consist of 6 main islands 12 smaller islands and over 40 small islets.  The only way to reach the Galapagos is to fly from Quito or Guayaquil in mainland Ecuador. Daily flights are operated by Tame, Aerogal and LAN airlines.