Today early in the morning we visited Bartolomé Island. This small central island is just 0.5 square miles. Bartolomé is located just off shore the East coast of Santiago Island. Bartolomé is one of the most visited and photographed visitor sites in the whole of the Galapagos Islands. A visit to the archipelago is not complete at all if this rust-colored island is not included in the itinerary. But, what is so attractive about this place? It is hard to summarize in few words but I will try to explain it. The fantastic volcanic features of this island are unique, so singular, that they are often compared with those of the moon! This so-called anti-diluvian moon landscape is filled with very few signs of life. Some few conspicuous pioneer plants, found here in the volcanic terrain, include gray matplants (Tiquilia nesiotica), chamaesyce (Chamaesyce amplexicaulis) and Stewart's scalesia (Scalesia stewartii). Though few animals are able to survive in the dry and severe conditions of the island, small lava lizards and Galapagos snakes have managed to live there.
The trail that leads to the summit of the island includes 372 wooden steps with handrails. The Galapagos National Park Service built this infrastructure to make the climbing easier and at the same time protect the fragile volcanic terrain from erosion. Does it sound exhausting? Not at all, we go little by little. Believe me every one of these steps is worth the effort to go there. The reward after all is one of the most impressive views you can expect to see in nature. The exiguous and unique vegetation together with big and small spatter cones, lava tubes and lava flows fix an unforgettable impression in the retina of our visitors. Like nowhere else in the whole archipelago one can feel the infectious magic these enchanted islands engender in us. In today's picture you can see how beautiful this breathtaking view is from the summit. Enjoy it!
