Bartolome Island
Most Galapagos Islands postcards feature a picture of Bartolome
Bartholomew is also called Bartolome Island and it is volcanic in nature. But that does not mean that it is not a good place for visitors to be at. If one thought that this is a place that is rocked up and down by volcanoes and continental shift, and therefore does not contain any scenic beauty, it is not so. There are some landscapes that are beautiful enough to make it look like the green and brown of the land are meeting the blue sky. There is a deliberate mosaic wrought by Nature that makes the soil, sky, and sea look like a leaf out of a picture book.
Quite close to Santiago Island, Bartholomew is famous for the Pinnacle Rock which has a conical, albeit asymmetrical shape. It is seen on the coast from afar and beams like a beacon to those arriving en route to the sea, being a featured landmark that no one can miss. Many tourists have also enjoyed climbing to the summit of the Island and the adventure of it is not to be equaled by anything but the beauty of the place. Apart from the attractive Pinnacle Rock this extremely beautiful region of the Galapagos Islands also reveals more beauty to be discovered underwater.
It is as if the word ‘isthmus’ was coined to describe the narrow stretch of land between the two bays of Bartholomew and Sulivan Bay. There are hundreds of varieties of aquatic life waiting to be discovered by those who enjoy snorkeling. Penguins, reef sharks, marine turtles and many other varieties of tropical fish are part of this region. Batholomew is one of several places in which the miracles of Nature have worked wonders.
As part of the repopulation and breeding projects that are undertaken to bring back fauna into this archipelago, there are mating and nesting areas for green turtles and herons. Swimming and snorkeling are great options if one is happy to meet face to face with the aquatic life of Bartholomew.
Being a volcanic island, there is much evidence of lava and craters to be seen on the landscape, and even the Pinnacle Rock is made of volcanic formations. The sight from atop the summit is nothing short of breathtaking.
