- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Wet landing. Lying at the heart of the archipelago this dramatic island, with its distinctive red-sand beach, is home to sea lions, mockingbirds, finches, endemic Galapagos doves and vermillion flycatchers. A walk takes you through a forest of palo santo and cacti to a beautiful overview of the bay. Snorkeling here can be excellent, often with large schools of black-striped salemas, sea lions and the ubiquitous turtles.
Highlights: Incredible landscape, Brown pelicans, nesting spots of seabirds, red sandy beach.
Difficulty level: easy
Type of terrain: sandy & grabble
Activities: 1 ½ hour hike / 1 hour beach snorkeling / 1 hour dinghy ride
Considered the most iconic landscape of the entire archipelago the view from the top of Bartolome Island, overlooking the famous Pinnacle Rock and the austere Santiago Island beyond, is well worth the climb up the wooden boardwalk. This volcanic scene has often been likened to a lunar landscape. Your subsequent snorkel here might put you face to face with Galapagos penguins, white-tipped reef sharks, and playful sea lions.
Highlights: Landscape, Pinnacle Rock, penguins, blue-footed boobies.
Disembarking:
Landing 1. dry, to trek up Summit Trail
Landing 2. wet, to visit Bartolome Beach
Difficulty level: intermediate
Type of terrain: wooden path of 372 stairs.
Activities: 1 ½ hour hike / 1 hour beach time, snorkeling, swimming or snorkeling