Galapagos, San Cristobal, El Progreso, and Colonos in a Changing World

This chapter summarizes the human history of Galápagos and its legacy in the contemporary context of a protected natural area and popular destination for conservation tourism. The recent history of contemporary human residents of the island is examined from Cobos’s death in 1904 through the growth of conservation and ecotourism after the Second World War. The direct and indirect impacts of the current situation on local resources and resident populations, and the responses of islanders and governments to them, are discussed. Consideration is given to the future of Galapagueño culture as the islands transition from a production-based economy to one based on services, especially tourism.