Bartolome Island

Bartolome is a bare volcanic islet off the east coast of Santiago, uninhabited and almost without vegetation, and it delivers the picture everyone associates with Galapagos: a boardwalk and stairway of nearly four hundred steps climbs a spatter cone to a summit looking down on Pinnacle Rock, a spire of tuff standing at the neck of two crescent beaches, with lava flows, cones and Santiago beyond. The landscape is raw and Martian, red and black cinder with lava cactus growing straight from the rock. Below, the beach snorkelling is among the best in the islands, with Galapagos penguins around Pinnacle Rock, white-tipped reef sharks and turtles.

What you actually see

• Pinnacle Rock from the summit - the classic Galapagos view.
• A near-lifeless volcanic surface - cinder cones and lava flows.
• Lava cactus on bare rock - the first plant to colonise new flows.
• Penguins at the snorkel site - the birds around the base of the spire.

When to go

Year round; the crossing is calmer December to May. A day trip from Santa Cruz. The stairway climb is exposed and hot; go with water and sun protection.

Honest expectations

It is a long boat ride each way and the sea is often rough. Landings are strictly guided and timed; you follow the trail and nothing else. The climb is nearly four hundred steps in full sun. There is no shade anywhere on the island.

Nearby

Santiago is across the channel; Santa Cruz lies south-west.