Bartolomé and Santiago
We were met by a cloudy and misty morning today as we set out to see one of the most famous spots in Galápagos – Pinnacle Rock of Bartolomé, an old eroded tuff cone.
This tiny island features one of the most outstanding views of the archipelago. A wooden boardwalk, recently finished by the National Park, takes visitors all the way to the summit of the island, where lava tubes, spatter cones, and pioneer plants can be observed. From the very top, you have a breathtaking view of the Pinnacle Rock, the golden sand beaches, and in the background, Santiago Island.
It also offers a fantastic opportunity for exploring the underwater world, where colorful starfish, coral, and sponges grow on the lava rock below the surface. Parrot fish, king angelfish, damsel fish among others species, are often seen along with the famous Galápagos penguins and the always scary but harmless white-tip reef sharks.
Those not interested in water activities took a nice walk across the sand dunes to a second beach. It is an important nesting site for the Pacific green sea turtles and where, rarely, very rarely, like today, a land iguana, from the very few mysteriously introduced here, can be spotted.
In the afternoon, Puerto Egas, on Santiago Island was a must-visit for those wanting to see the Galápagos fur seals, once hunted almost to extinction for their shinny and soft fur. Many shore birds such as whimbrels, lesser yellowlegs, ruddy turnstones and American oystercatchers are commonly found along the coastline trail, among the marine iguanas, sea lions and other interesting creatures.
Following the footsteps of Charles Darwin, who once walked along this trail, we discovered and understood much better his fascination with the islands.
