We took a day trip to Bartolome from Santa Cruz and had a fantastic time. The dried lava everywhere looks incredible. Also you get a nice view over to Santiago Island, so you can tick off two of the list ;)The snorkelling spot that was included in our tour was in a bay just off Santiago and offered beautiful views of colourful fish and we saw a sea turtle. We also managed to see some penguins swim around Bartolome.All in all this was an amazing, if pricey, day trip!
Isla Bartolome is a day trip worth doing. Wonderful view, great oportunity for snorkeling. The experience was almost ruined by our travel agency Los Viajes the Darwin, in Puerto Ayora. It made us feel insecure, having to argue for every detail and to pay extra cash, as you don`t have much option when you are in a boat in the middle of the ocean.I would advise not to negatiate with this travel agency, or be extra careful not to be ripped off.
This island is a little different to other islands in the Galapagos, with less wildlife on land and more of a focus on spectacular scenery from the area's volcanic past. They have built a boardwalk up to the peak (to prevent further land erosion) so it is a relatively easy walk (of course it is uphill). The water around the island is great for snorkelling, plenty of fish, the occasional reef shark, and if you are lucky maybe you will snorkel with a Galapagos penguin or a playful sea lion!
Para visitar esta isla es necesario contratar un tour que cobra unos US$160 por persona, que incluye el transporte terrestre, maritimo, desayuno y almuerzo. En nuestro caso, un bus nos recogió muy temprano (entre 6:00 y 6:30 hrs) en el hotel, luego a otros pasajeros en sus respectivos hoteles e inició el trayecto hacia el canal Iltabaca donde llegamos luego de unos 40 a 45 minutos de viaje en bus. En este lugar, nos embarcamos en un bote zodiak hacia la embarcación que se dirige hacia la isla Bartolomé. Esta embarcación es grande, para que viajen unas 15 personas cómodamente, pero es lenta. El viaje maritimo se inicio cerca de las 08:00 hrs en cuyo trayecto pasamos por el islote Daphne Mayor y donde pudimos apreciar una hermosa vista de esta zona. Al iniciar el viaje, en la embarcación sirven el desayuno.Luego de unas 2 horas y media de viaje llegamos a la isla Bartolomé, donde el bote zodiak nos llevó a un muelle para iniciar el ascenso hacia el mirador de la isla, esto a través de un sendero de madera. Al llegar al mirador se puede apreciar el Pináculo de la isla Bartolomé y tambien se puede observar diferentes islas del archipiélago, como por ejemplo, el islote Sombrero Chino.Luego de esto, descendimos por el sendero para llegar al muelle donde nos esperaba el bote zodiak para llevarnos de regreso a la embarcación mayor, la cual nos llevó a una playa para hacer snorkeling. En nuestro visita, apreciamos algunos ejemplares de peces de colores, pero tambien pudimos ver algunas aves en los roquerios y al Pinguino de Darwin.Despues de 1 h aproximadamente, el bote zodiak fue a buscarnos a la playa para llevarnos a un sector de la isla Santiago para recorrer un sendero y apreciar la formación volcánica de esta isla. Posterior a este recorrido, el zodiak nos llevó de regreso a la embarcación mayor para almorzar y luego iniciar el viaje de regreso (alrededor de las 14:00 hrs).Alrededor de las 16:30 hrs llegamos al canal Iltabaca donde el zodiak nos llevó de regreso al muelle para abordar el bus que nos llevó de regreso a Puerto Ayora.Si bien el viaje fue agotador, tanto en la ida como en el regreso pudimos apreciar fauna marina como delfines y mantarrayas. Vale la pena hacer el esfuerzo y realizar este viaje por todo lo que se puede conocer.Recomiendo llevar pastillas para el mareo...pueden ser de gran ayuda.
Cost $180. Book two months in advance or you won't find a spot!What to bring: camera, sun glasses, sandals (not flip flops), sun screen (a must), extra tshirt, chapstick, hat. You might get sea sick.What will be provided: towel, snorkel gear (no fins though), breakfast, lunch, water, snacks.6am hotel pick up. Then you will travel for 45min to the port. You will embark the boat which will be ready for breakfast. Most of the boats have capacity for 16 people plus 4 crew members.Expect two hours in the ocean until you reach Bartolome. So plan a sun bath or a nice chat with the captain or just make new friends. A book or a short movie can also be a good idea.While on the boat, you might see dolphins, birds, and a great view of North and south Seymour.Once you reach Bartolome you will climb to the light house were you get an amazing view of the beach and the Pinacle (famous geological formation). You will also stop at a lava beach near by. The schedule depends on the tourist guide, he might change it depending on the weather.Finally, you will be able to snorkel for about an hour which will be absolutely unforgettable!! What an experience. After snorkeling you will be taken back to the boat where you will have lunch. The you have 2 hours in the ocean and almost one hour in the bus. Here is when you use your book or movie!At 5pm you will reach Puerto Ayora and your brain will be full of memories that will be very hard to forget.
We hiked to the top of the island. It's not tough, just an uphill walk on a good wooden walkway. The view from the top of this barren island. From the top you get a panoramic view of the double sided beach of Bartolome island as well as all the surrounding islands. A truly spectacular view.
After landing, you will walk about 1.2 miles up a long wooden staircase. It was built not to help the tourists (although it does that), but to keep them from contributing to the erosion from walking on the slopes. The views from several levels are fantastic - Pinnacle Rock, the lunar landscape and the view over Sullivan's Bay. Definitely a must!
Can you believe it, this place was target practice for the US air-force many years ago! There used to be two plugs but it is still very beautiful. If you walk across the top from the bay to the beach on the other side of the island you may be able to swim quietly with the basking sharks. Watch out though, depending when you go the temperatures reach staggering numbers with no air at the top of the hill!PS. The rope lava on the other side of the channel is stunning.
Isla Bartolome is a great snorkelling location for beginners. It has calm water but there is a lot to see. We saw the most creatures in the water on Isla Bartolome than we did on any other of the many islands we visited, including a reef shark. There is also a lovely beach to relax on if your not the snorkelling type and a rocky area to explore as well. There is also a wooden pathway which takes you up on a hike to the top of the one of the rocks where you get a lovely view of the island. As the first island we visited, it is a must.
We planned to spend 1 month in the Galapagos - all on land - to help manage our costs as we plan to travel for another 8-10months. I now know why so many people travel the archipelago by boat. It's islands like Bartolome that you cannot access any other way. We lucked out and spent a couple of nights on board a boat for scuba trip that stopped at Bartolome and we're so glad they did. You hike (climb stairs, fairly steep) to the top and gaze over Pinnacle Rock, just awesome, beautiful scenery. We dingy'd around the coast afterwards and saw a few penguins on the rocky coast and in the water which was icing on the cake.