Bartolomé and Sombrero Chino
With an energizing early morning walk we began our day at Bartolomé Island. During the hike we learned some interesting details about the geology of the island and its beautiful surroundings.
The climb was easy but steep as the Galápagos Park Service has placed a wooden staircase here to avoid the erosion of the volcanic ash that forms most of the trail.
As it was a nice sunny morning we could see about 10 of the islands around us, including Marchena, the northernmost point of the archipelago. We could also see the silhouettes of the shield volcanoes on the great island of Isabela.
After breakfast we had a super morning full of incredible surprises, fabulous snorkeling around Pinnacle Rock, clear waters, lots and lots of fish, reef sharks, wonderful underwater rock formations and the sun shinning up strong for us.
Glass-bottom boating was another great highlight. With a Naturalist on board telling us what we saw and who does what down there it was so much more fascinating — we enjoyed the underwater realm without getting wet!
In the afternoon we snorkeled with Galápagos penguins and enjoyed the fantastic settings of Santiago Island and Sombrero Chino. The little white sandy beach here was good for the kids to play on, and they were able to share some excitement with a couple of playful sea lions that showed up.
