Bartolomé

Island

By Karey Fuhs

Bartolomé, a small islet (1.2 km2) just off Sullivan Bay, is the most recognizable island given its distinctive Pinnacle Rock, a towering rock face that has been eroded both naturally and with the help of sure-shots to a point. You may recognize it from the ample coverage it received in the film, Master and Commander.

Visitors can disembark opposite Pinnacle Rock (dry landing) to climb to the 114-meter summit of the island and witness the spectacular views off all neighboring islands. Try to arrive at the top as close to dusk as possible and stay until 6pm when you must leave the island. A staircase and wooden boardwalk has been constructed to mitigate erosion on the slopes. Erosion has been especially grave due to the high frequency of visitation on this island. You can also see pioneer plants like the candelabra cactus and a truly unique lava landscape.

The other visitor site on Bartolomé is a series of small, white, sandy beaches at the narrow center of the barbell-shaped island. From here, you can snorkel around Pinnacle Rock, searching for Galapagos penguins, marine turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, and a variety of tropical fish. You can also walk along a sandy trail to the other side of the island, where there is an identical white-sand beach. From the surf, you can often see white-tipped reef sharks hungrily awaiting baby green sea turtles that have been hatched on-land.