Ecuador
Bartalome
Bartolomé: Pinnacle Rock and a Volcanic Summit Trail
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A Guided Landing
Visitors walk on Bartolomé only with a naturalist guide and through authorized tour services, as Galápagos National Park requires for this site. There are two visitor sites: a trail of walkways and steps to the 114-meter summit, and the beach beside Pinnacle Rock for swimming and snorkeling.
- Bartolomé is an uninhabited volcanic islet of 1.2 square kilometers in Sullivan Bay, just off the east coast of Santiago Island.
- The island and the bay are named after Bartholomew James Sulivan, a lieutenant on HMS Beagle and a lifelong friend of Charles Darwin.
- The visit is mainly about geology: lava formations, recent volcanic cones and soils in shades of red, orange, green and black.
- Pinnacle Rock appeared in the 2003 film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.
Visiting Rules
Bartolomé is a protected visitor site of Galápagos National Park, and the trail must always be walked with a naturalist guide from an authorized tour service. The park's rules apply on land and in the water.
- Keep at least 2 meters from wildlife, cameras included, even when swimming near penguins or sea lions.
- Do not touch or feed animals. Take photos without flash, and do not use drones.
- Stay on the walkways and the marked trail, and respect the visiting hours your guide gives you.
- Take nothing away and bring nothing in, and leave no writing on rocks.
- Do not smoke, drink alcohol or light fires, and use sun protection that is safe for marine life.
- Take all your trash back to the boat.
A Brief History
Bartolomé and the bay it sits in carry the name of an officer on Darwin's ship, and Santiago, the larger island beside it, was one of the islands Darwin explored in 1835. In recent years the park has restored land iguanas to Santiago after an absence of about 180 years.
- 1684 and 1685: The pirate William Ambrosia Cowley named neighboring Santiago after the Duke of York, later King James II, and its English names, including James Island, honored him.
- October 1835: Darwin camped on Santiago and wrote that land iguana burrows were so many that it was hard to find a spot for the tent.
- The name: Bartolomé and Sullivan Bay are named after Bartholomew James Sulivan, a lieutenant on HMS Beagle.
- 1838: The last record of land iguanas on Santiago before their return in 2019, more than 180 years later.
- 1892: For the 400th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage, Ecuador renamed Santiago San Salvador, after the first island Columbus reached.
- 1904 to 1906: The last recorded volcanic activity on Santiago.
- 1959: Galápagos National Park was created, covering 97 percent of the islands' land.
- 2019: On 4 January, 1,436 land iguanas from North Seymour were released on Santiago.
- To learn more ashore: The Charles Darwin Research Station, on Academy Bay in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, is the base of the Charles Darwin Foundation's research and conservation work.
Bartolomé with Children
Bartolomé offers two outings: the stairway to the summit for children who can climb steadily, and the beach for those who can swim or snorkel. Your guide sets the pace and the rules on both.
- Younger children: The bay by Pinnacle Rock is used for swimming; keep small children close and follow the guide's directions on the sand, where turtles nest.
- School age: On the summit trail, look for lava formations, volcanic cones and the different colors of the soil, and count the islands in view from the top.
- Teenagers: Snorkeling here can bring sightings of Galápagos penguins, sea turtles, whitetip reef sharks and tropical fish. Keep 2 meters away even when an animal swims toward you.
Accessible Travel
The summit trail climbs to 114 meters on walkways and steps with railings, and park rangers have repaired them because the salty air wears them down.
- Rangers have repaired walkways, railings and steps along 800 meters of the main trail.
- Ask your boat in advance how passengers land and whether the climb can be taken at a slower pace.
- Medical facilities in the Galápagos are limited, so make sure your travel insurance includes air ambulance evacuation. Boats may ask for your blood group and emergency contacts when you board.
Swimming and Snorkeling
Bartolomé's northern beach, in the bay beside Pinnacle Rock, is where visitors swim and snorkel with a guide. Two bays here are separated by a narrow strip of land.
- Underwater you may see Galápagos penguins, green sea turtles, whitetip reef sharks, sea lions, rays and tropical fish.
- Galápagos penguins have a small breeding colony in a cave behind Pinnacle Rock.
- Green sea turtles nest on the northern beach, so stay where your guide shows you on the sand.
- Use only sun protection that is safe for marine life.
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