Bartolomé and Rábida Islands
Today our adventure began with an early wake-up call to give us enough time to hike all the way up to the summit of Bartolomé Island. As we arrived at Bartolomé Island, the extraordinary colorful sally lightfoot crabs looked bewildering all over the embarkation area. As we continued along the trail, the tiquilia plants decorated the background on the island with their green and grey colors. A little farther inland, the robust lava cactus was the perfect contrast to the young environment. Farther up, the amazing moonscape of Bartolomé was just a combination of several different spatter cones that looked like dominant giants in the background. Once we reached the summit, the view was so fabulous that the impression still remains in our minds. As we came back on board the National Geographic Islander, it was time to move on the next adventure: see the magical underwater world of Galápagos. The snorkeling activity around the historical Pinnacle Rock was as spectacular as usual: hundreds of colorful reef fish were everywhere, but the main attractions were definitely the white tipped reef sharks.
In the afternoon the adventure got even better as we headed to our next destination: Rábida Island. As soon as we anchored, we disembarked for several different activities. The most attractive one was the deep water snorkeling along the cliffs of Rábida Island. Once in the water, the sunlight was our guide in the discovery of a mysterious colorful world of fish. Towards the end of snorkeling, just before reaching the beach, an amazing eagle ray surprised us. After snorkeling, we prepared our gear for a hike into Rábida Paradise. The red sand looked so elegant and the salt bushes and the saltwater lagoon were the perfect companions for an awe-inspiring view. Farther inside the island, the land birds singing were so charming that we felt we were inside their world. On the way back to the ship, the sunset- colored sky was a dream of natural colors. The Galápagos Islands adventure we lived today is an unforgettable wish that became true.
