The Bartolomé and Sullivan Bay day tour is a full-day boat trip from Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, to two of the most iconic visitor sites in the Galapagos: the summit viewpoint over Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island and the young lava fields of Sullivan Bay on Santiago, with snorkeling, lunch and a bilingual naturalist guide. From US$380 per person.
Let’s talk about your tripBartolomé day tour at a glance
| Tour type | Full-day boat tour from Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz |
| Visitor sites | Bartolomé Island and Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island) |
| Activities | Summit hike, lava field walk, snorkeling and panga ride |
| Difficulty | Medium: 378 steps to the Bartolomé summit |
| Departures | Monday, Wednesday and Saturday |
| Meeting point | Puerto Ayora church, in front of the pier, at 5:45 am (Galapagos time, GMT-6) |
| Return | Puerto Ayora, late afternoon |
| Price | From US$380 per person |
| Includes | Transfers to the Itabaca Channel, lunch, bilingual naturalist guide and snorkel gear |
Why Bartolomé is worth the trip
Bartolomé is the postcard of the Galapagos. A wooden boardwalk of 378 steps climbs past spatter cones and lava tubes to a viewpoint about 114 m above the sea, where you look down on Pinnacle Rock, the twin bays and the black lava fields of Santiago. The golden beach below is one of the best snorkeling spots in the central islands.
Sullivan Bay: walking on young lava
Across a narrow channel, Sullivan Bay shows what the islands looked like when they were born. A lava flow from the late 1890s is still almost bare, with ropy pahoehoe shapes, small cones and the first pioneer plants such as lava cactus. It is an easy but uneven walk of about 1.5 km.
Snorkeling and wildlife
After the walks you snorkel off the Bartolomé beach or near Pinnacle Rock, depending on sea conditions. Galapagos penguins live along these shores, and sea turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, rays and colorful reef fish are common. Wetsuits are included because the water can be cool.
