Sofia Darquea

Sofia was born and raised in Quito, but left for Spain to attend high school and later, the University of Madrid. After graduating with a degree in tourism and hotel management, Sofia spent several years working throughout France. In 1987, she returned to Ecuador and began training to become a licensed Naturalist guide with the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galápagos National Park.

Sofia co-founded the organization Galapagos Naturalist Guide’s Association (AGIPA) and later served as its president. In 2000, she left Galápagos to raise her son, but continued to work as a naturalist and tour leader in the Amazon Rainforest, the Galápagos and the Ecuadorian mainland.

Over the last several years she has served as the director of Fundacion Accion Amazonia, a non-profit, private organization co-founded by Sofia to help support the local indigenous communities of the Amazon rainforest. As a member of the board of directors of the Ecuadorian Ecotourism Association, Sofia also helped to develop several ecotourism-based projects on the mainland. The EEA is responsible for creating the guidelines for responsible eco-friendly tourism in Ecuador, standardizing the industry.

In 2008, Sophia returned to the job she loves the most, teaching visitors about the magical Galápagos Archipelago. Fluent in English, French and Spanish, she has hosted and educated visitors from all over the world.