Galapagos Islands Planning Resources
The Galapagos Islands, as remote as they are, have become a very popular destination for tourists and there is a ton of information out there. It can be overwhelming.
On this page, we have included the books we purchased and links to the websites we referred to the most. I'm sure you will look at many other resources, but perhaps this page can save a little of your valuable time.
On this page, we have included the books we purchased and links to the websites we referred to the most. I'm sure you will look at many other resources, but perhaps this page can save a little of your valuable time.
Books
I read through just about all of the book descriptions listed on Amazon pertaining to the Galapagos Islands. When all was said and done, we bought one hard-copy book and a laminated brochure, and I downloaded another ebook for free using our Kindle Unlimited plan.
I read through just about all of the book descriptions listed on Amazon pertaining to the Galapagos Islands. When all was said and done, we bought one hard-copy book and a laminated brochure, and I downloaded another ebook for free using our Kindle Unlimited plan.
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Wildlife of the Galapagos is the book I can't say enough about. In addition to photos, information, and identification tips for the wildlife, there is also a little history, a little geology, Galapagos National Park rules, photography tips, AND a complete listing of all the designated Visitor Sites in the Galapagos Islands PLUS a page about each Visitor Site with a small map and a list of what you are likely to see there.
Go to the link, and click on the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon. It is way more than just a wildlife guide.
Reading and getting familiar with that book on the plane ride to Ecuador really helped get our bearings, and once we were there, it was an invaluable resource. We highly recommend this book for a trip to the Galapagos, and the more Visitor Sites you will go to, the higher we recommend it. It was worth every penny to us.
Note: This book has a lot of information packed into a relatively small paperback book, so the print is tiny. You may need your reading glasses.
Galapagos Wildlife: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Animals is a decent little guide that certainly doesn't take up much space, but I would only recommend it for those that have very little knowledge of the Galapagos or those that are only going to be there a very short time. Note: We returned this item as it just wasn't needed with Wildlife of the Galapagos.
Darwin's Odyssey: The Voyage of the Beagle by Kevin Jackson is a great little overview of Darwin's visit to the Galapagos Islands. It's easy to read, the print version is only 104 pages, it provides useful information, and it's inexpensive. It's available as a Kindle ebook and, if you have Kindle Unlimited, it's free to borrow (probably a top reason I chose it).
Go to the link, and click on the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon. It is way more than just a wildlife guide.
Reading and getting familiar with that book on the plane ride to Ecuador really helped get our bearings, and once we were there, it was an invaluable resource. We highly recommend this book for a trip to the Galapagos, and the more Visitor Sites you will go to, the higher we recommend it. It was worth every penny to us.
Note: This book has a lot of information packed into a relatively small paperback book, so the print is tiny. You may need your reading glasses.
Galapagos Wildlife: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Animals is a decent little guide that certainly doesn't take up much space, but I would only recommend it for those that have very little knowledge of the Galapagos or those that are only going to be there a very short time. Note: We returned this item as it just wasn't needed with Wildlife of the Galapagos.
Darwin's Odyssey: The Voyage of the Beagle by Kevin Jackson is a great little overview of Darwin's visit to the Galapagos Islands. It's easy to read, the print version is only 104 pages, it provides useful information, and it's inexpensive. It's available as a Kindle ebook and, if you have Kindle Unlimited, it's free to borrow (probably a top reason I chose it).
Websites
In my quest for information, these are the websites I ended up visiting over and over.
Galapagos Conservancy - Excellent non-commercial website providing great information about the islands plus travel planning information.
GalapagosIslands.com - A commercial travel site packed with information about the islands and travel planning in addition to an exhaustive list of tour options. This site also has the best online Visitor Sites Map, with links to learn more about each one.
UNESCO World Heritage - Galapagos Islands - This site is pretty dry, but the Galapagos Islands are a World Heritage Site (one of the first four "natural" sites so designated), and this website provides a lot of facts and figures about the islands and why they are such a special place in the world.
Most of the other websites that come up in an internet search on "Galapagos Islands" are commercial websites that are actually travel agencies that work with most of the various cruise and tour operators. Some of the other websites are the tour operators themselves. Several of these additional sites also have great information about the islands, and you can use them to compare tours and prices.
There are also a couple of "Last Minute" Galapagos websites that "specialize" in last-minute bookings with good discounts. However, we found that just about all the agencies can check last-minute pricing, so don't get too caught up in the "last minute" marketing. Just get multiple quotes, do your homework, and work with a company that has good ratings and provides you the best service.
I'm more of a "do it myself" kind of guy, but I found the choices to be overwhelming, so it made my life a lot easier when I turned the availability and price-checking to an agency. Plus they have history with each tour and cruise company, and they can give you an idea of the quality of service and accommodations that might not be available or might be outdated on the various travel review websites.
We went with Southern Explorations because they provided us the best service and stayed in touch with us long after our initial contact many months prior to booking a trip. If you might be interested in working with Southern Explorations, just use the Contact Us button at the top or bottom of the page and let us know. We don't have any type of financial arrangement with them, but we can at least put you in touch with the person that helped us.
Note: We are members of Amazon Associates, which means we do get a tiny commission any time you click on one of our Amazon links and buy something. It doesn't cost you any more, but it does help us cover the costs of maintaining and updating this website. Thank you for your support!