Galápagos Islands

Read on for GEEO’s suggestions on books to read before you travel to the Galápagos Islands. Our book club is a way for teachers and other participants to learn through literature about the places they will be traveling.

Reading fiction or nonfiction based on a country gives travelers the context needed to have deeper, richer experiences abroad. It is completely up to the participant whether they choose to read them, as the GEEO book club is not a required element of our programs. We hope our participants will enjoy the books we have selected and they will enhance their experience.

You should be able to find most of our selections through the links below and in your local library system as well. Do you have any feedback on our selections or suggestions for additions? Contact us and let us know!

Recommended books to read before traveling to the Galápagos Islands:

Fiction:

• Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut
• Wish You Were Here: A Novel by Jodi Picoult

Nonfiction:

• Galapagos at the Crossroads: Pirates, Biologists, Tourists, and Creationists Battle for Darwin’s Cradle of Evolution by Carol Ann Bassett
• Galápagos: The Islands That Changed the World by Paul D. Stewart
• The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan Weiner

For those looking for more suggestions, here are some other books you may want to consider:

• The Voyage of the Beagle and The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
• Darwin’s Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution by Rebecca Stott
• Floreana: A Novel by Midge Raymond
• Galapagos Regained: A Novel by James Morrow
• Cumanda: The Novel of the Ecuadorian Jungle by Juan León Mera

Recommended films and videos to watch before traveling to Ecuador:

Register with SIMA Academy here using access code SIMA4GEEO (case-sensitive), and then watch Barrio de Paz. SIMA Academy utilizes the storytelling power of award-winning global short documentaries to nurture globally competent and socially active learners worldwide.

Other films and videos:

• The Galapagos Affair (2013)

GEEO utilizes Amazon Associates links for the above-suggested books. If you purchase a book through one of the links above, you’re supporting us as a nonprofit and helping more teachers travel through GEEO!