You will find Bartolomé and Sombrero Chino in the central section of the Galapagos archipelago. These small islands are located near the eastern coast of the island of Santiago, which is one of the largest islands in Galapagos. Geologically speaking, they are both relatively young, and that is what the landscaping of both islands reveal once you have the chance to see them close up.
This morning, we plan an early disembarkation; perhaps not many have encountered the beauty of the sun rising over the islands, and we are excited to share this with our guests. By six thirty in the morning, the explorers are boarding the Zodiacs to head for Bartolomé, where we will be taking a walk over the clear young lava of the islands, allowing us to see the landscaping and spectacular view that make this visit so exceptional. Our path takes us along the landscape of ashes, decorated with pioneer vegetation that we have not seen so closely before. As we continue, the path takes us higher and higher, until we reach an altitude that facilitated the view of all of Bartolomé surroundings. As we take in the incredible few of the island and all the richness of its volcanic characteristics, we are surprised by an intense rain, which creates a wet atmosphere for the walk back to landing site. The islands can certainly be unpredictable!
The second part of the expedition in the morning is taking place at the brown beach of Bartolomé, where we enjoy the calm ocean and warm temperature in a place where the snorkeling and swimming could not be more inviting. Some of the explorers go walking along the beach, many others are swimming, and others go snorkeling off of the beach.
In the afternoon, we go to Sombrero Chino, which is not farther than 45 minutes south from Bartolomé. Once we are anchored, the explorers are organized for a deep water snorkeling excursion, which in Sombrero Chino happens to be the highlight of the visit. This channel has excellent conditions for the activity and the explorers have close encounters with many underwater attractions. To make the afternoon even more exciting, after snorkeling we have planned to go Zodiac riding along the coast of the island to find some Galapagos Penguins, which we have not had the opportunity to photograph yet. What an excellent way to close another fantastic day of exploration!
