Bartolomé & Santiago Islands
Today we woke up early. At 6:30am we were disembarking. We had to climb 372 steps to get our reward… but believe me it was worth it!
Bartolomé Island has one of the most spectacular sceneries in the Galápagos Islands. Very few species have been able to establish themselves in this very harsh environment, but we had the opportunity to see some of them: lava cactus and tiquilia plants, lava lizards and Darwin finches were around the wooden trail. We were surrounded by geological features as well… secondary volcanoes as Tuff cones and Spatter cones, lava tubes and lava rocks, all different in colors due to the erosion of the diverse elements forming this lava.
We came back for breakfast and then we were ready for our first snorkeling during this week. The golden beach of Bartolomé was our base. We all were able to choose how far away we wanted to explore the sea. Penguins came to the encounter… sea lions and rays were there too! (As well as fish of all different types…).
The afternoon took place on Santiago Island. Experienced kayakers were the first going out to explore the shore of this area, followed by the snorkelers and people who wanted to enjoy the beach. Later on, we all went to our afternoon walk along the coastal area of Puerto Egas. Baby sea lions were the stars of the day; it was hard not to step on a marine iguana, as they were all over! And finally we found some fur seals hiding from the sun under the shade of the Grottos!
We came back at sunset. What a day! It is hard to imagine tomorrow can be better than today, but that’s Galápagos… a box full of surprises… every day a different experience where everything is possible. It is paradise.
