Paradise Found: Bartolomé Island's Natural Wonder

Great destination! Enjoyed the open trail and peaceful outdoor atmosphere.

The absolute quintessential postcard view of the Galápagos! If you want to feel like you’ve stepped onto another planet, this volcanic landscape delivers. The 364-step wooden boardwalk hike to the top is completely exposed to the elements and can get hot, but the panoramic views of the raw, red-and-black lava fields are worth every ounce of sweat. You feel completely isolated in the best way possible. It is a long, tiring day trip from Santa Cruz involving a bus and a 2-hour yacht ride each way, but the stark, uninhibited beauty makes it a mandatory bucket-list stop.

This island can be reached from Santa Cruz Island via 360° tours, and the leisurely boat ride, enjoying breakfast and snacks along the way, takes just over two hours. The bay where you land offers breathtaking views, and the pier is a lush natural wonder where you can see sea lions, colorful crabs, and numerous birds. After landing, you can stroll along the walking trails to the observation point at the summit. Along the way, there are spots where you can see the lava formations and differences in rock composition that illustrate the island's formation process, making it enjoyable for geology enthusiasts. However, it was unfortunate that not all tourists seemed interested in nature conservation; some tourists trampled the island, for example, by straying from the walking trail to retrieve a hat that had been blown away. (The guide stopping the tourist and giving a stern warning was excellent from a nature conservation perspective.) Even the grass growing around the island is part of its precious flora and fauna, so ignoring it is unacceptable. Tips: Depending on the season and weather, the waves at sea can be high, so it's recommended to bring motion sickness medication. You can buy them at pharmacies on Santa Cruz Island for around $1 per tablet.

The climb up to the outlook is def worth it. Walking across the lava flows, snorkeling, birds, sea lions, penguins, etc. This place had them all. My favorite island in the Galapagos.

Visited on a tour Arrived in about 2 hours by a slow boat from the strait of Santa Cruz Island Reached the top by climbing 375 steps from the pier It was a little hot in some places where there was no wind along the way It was very interesting to learn about the process from when the island was formed until plants took root.