Bartolomé and Rábida Islands
Today we experienced the wonders of the archipelago by visiting the center of Galápagos: Bartolomé and Rábida Islands. The first adventure of the day was an early exploration in order to see the volcanic structures of Bartolomé Island. The splendor of the place was awe-inspiring since the very beginning as Sally Lightfoot crabs were covering the rocks in the disembarkation area. Farther into the trail, marvelous volcanic structures were the big surprise for us: Tuff cones that surrounded the area, little lava tubes, and spatter cones that made it perfect for a moonscape as we reached the highest point of the island. The emblematic Pinnacle Rock in the background was the perfect compliment for a magnificent view.
A delightful breakfast was ready for us once we came back on board the National Geographic Islander. Later in the morning, it was time to move on to the next part of the adventure: deep water snorkeling. Once in the water, the splendid undersea world of the Galápagos Islands Marine Reserve was revealed to us. Reef fish of different colors surrounding us, and playful Galapagos sea lions were our very good companions at all moments. A relaxing moment on an orange sand beach was the best way to end the morning activities.
A comfortable navigation took us all the way to our next destination: Rábida Island. In the afternoon the exploration was inspiring, and a pleasant Ecuadorian buffet lunch was the best way to begin it. A combination of numerous activities made us witness what Rábida prepared to our senses: deep water snorkeling, kayaking, and swimming. A marvelous combination of colors was displayed by the reef fish as deep-water snorkeling along the cliffs of Rabida. The next adventure of the afternoon was a marvelous hike at the coastline of the island.
A wet landing on a colorful red sand beach was the perfect arrival to a hidden natural paradise. The vegetation of the area was overwhelming as there was a big incense tree forest as background. Darwin finches, and different kinds of land birds were singing all over the place; but the big surprise of the hike was a vermillion flycatcher at the end of a beautiful brackish water lagoon. At the end of exploration we enjoyed a charming sunset as baby sea lions were very playful all over the sandy area. Exploration couldn’t get better at the living paradise of the Galápagos Islands.
