Bartolome Island: All You Need To Know In 2025

Wondering if you should visit Bartolome Island?

We did a day trip to Bartolome Island back when we visited in May 2023. To this day it was one of the best days in my life. Mostly because of my experience with the penguins, which I’ll tell you all about later!

Bartolome Island is an exotic destination located in the Galapagos Islands. It was formed from volcanic eruptions over centuries, and today it’s home to a family of penguins, blue-footed boobies, seals, and so much more.

Despite it being one of the most-visited islands of the Galapagos, it’s never crowded. This is because of tight regulations on when and where the different tour boats can visit.

It’s full of wildlife, but Bartolome Island is uninhabited by humans. If you’re looking for incredible sights and experiences, then add Bartolome Island to your list.

Also, check out our Galapagos Itinerary for more inspiration for your trip.

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There are two ways to get to Bartolome Island. And both include travelling by boat.

The best way is by taking a day tour from Santa Cruz. These are daily, and include a guided tour of the island, snorkelling, and penguin spotting.

We did this tour on our Galapagos trip. I can say it’s HIGHLY recommended! I had the opportunity to swim between the penguins and dive-bombing boobies, which was the BEST wildlife experience I’ve had in my life.

👉 Don’t miss out on the magical opportunity of seeing wild penguins, or even swimming alongside them! Book your Bartolome Island tour TODAY! 👈

The second way is by booking a Galapagos cruise that includes Bartolome on the itinerary. We’ve not been on a cruise, so I can’t give you first-hand experience on how good they are. But, we’ve met some people from different cruises that absolutely loved it. It’s probably one of the best ways to see as much as possible in a short time.

I know these are expensive, but they book out! You can opt to book them when on the islands. Dates and durations will be VERY limited. However, they will be cheaper.

We were talking to a couple that did this cruise, which included Bartolome Island:

👉 Get THE BEST out of your Galapagos trip with this 4-day island hopping tour. Be quick, they sell out! 👈

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• Bathing suit
• Towel (however, they were included on the boat)
• Sunscreen (VERY important as there is no shade on the island!)
• Camera
• Snacks (these were also included)
• Drybag
• Snorkelling gear (also included)
• Sunhat
• Filtered water bottles

There are NO shops on the island! Take everything you need before boarding the boat. That being said, these boats normally include food, snacks, water, and snorkelling gear.

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Whether you’re interested in geology or just want to observe some incredible wildlife up close, Bartolome Island has it.

The most famous thing about Bartolome Island is Pinnacle Rock. It’s a special rock that looks like a tall spire and is very unique. A long time ago, hot lava met cold seawater and exploded, making a lot of broken volcanic pieces. Over time, the wind and waves made the pieces into the shape of Pinnacle Rock.

The island has more volcanic features, like lava tubes. Lava tubes are tunnels made by flowing lava that hardened on the outside but stayed hot inside. During volcanic eruptions, the lava used these tunnels to flow through.

Bartolome Island looks kind of like Mars and doesn’t have a lot of plants because it’s still new and the soil hasn’t developed much yet. But in some places where there is soil, you can find small plants like lava cacti and shrubs that were the first ones to grow there.

Some of the interesting animals you can find on Bartolome Island are:

1. Galapagos Penguins: You have an incredibly high chance of spotting Galapagos Penguins on Bartolome Island. You’re likely to find the colony that breeds on the island and is always somewhere around the island. They live behind pinnacle rock but are sometimes off fishing.
2. Marine Iguanas: You can often spot them bathing in the sun on the island’s volcanic rocks. These iguanas are ONLY found on the Galapagos. They’re the only reptile that can scavenge and hunt both on land and in the water, which makes them great swimmers.
3. Galapagos Hawks: You can also find the Galapagos Hawks. Which is a type of bird that is also endemic to the islands. You’ll see them flying around the island looking for food like lizards and rodents.
4. Lava Lizards: When visiting Bartolome Island, you’re almost guaranteed to see lava lizards. They’re a kind of reptile that evolved to live in the dry volcanic areas of the Galapagos. You’ll find them running around on the rocks, and often in front of your feet on the walkways.
5. Blue-footed Boobies: The boobies are interesting birds with bright blue feet. The intensity of the blue colour is believed to indicate the health of the birds. They’re great divers that mainly eat fish.
6. Galapagos Green Turtles: While not as seen as often as near other Galapagos Islands, Bartolome is occasionally visited by Galapagos green turtles. These majestic creatures come ashore to lay their eggs on the island’s sandy beaches. You sometimes see them while snorkelling, too.

The wildlife on Bartolome Island, like in the rest of the Galapagos, is relatively fearless of humans because of the lack of natural predators. Visitors need to follow strict guidelines to ensure the protection and conservation of these species.

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Snorkelling is also a great activity because there are plenty of colourful fish and sometimes even sea turtles to observe around Pinnacle Rock. And don’t forget the penguins!

While I was swimming and looking around, someone shouted “PENGUINS!”. We’ve tried to see them earlier, behind Pinnacle Rock. But they weren’t home.

I looked up and saw lots of splashing. So I went into pursuit. And to my luck, they turned around, heading straight towards me. They were hunting a school of fish, along with the blue-footed boobies. I watched the boobies dive in, and the penguins shoot through the water in search of food.

It was a magical moment. One that I’ll never forget! I got this opportunity by going on a day tour that includes snorkelling, like this one!

Now, you don’t NEED to book in advance, but by doing so you’re guaranteed to go. We didn’t book in advance but only had the option of one day. It was a little cheaper to book on the spot, but if we had something else booked that day, we couldn’t have gone to Bartolome. And would’ve missed all the penguin action!

Tours on the Galapagos WILL sell out, so if you decide to book on the spot, you’re likely not going on the tour in the next couple of days.

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The best time to visit, according to locals, is December to May. These months are warm, with only few, short showers. These months have the best conditions for diving and snorkelling.

June to November are great for spotting whales and other large marine animals. This is because of the currents in the ocean bringing in nutrition for them.

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You’ll pass the Daphne Islands, which is full of birds, and seals.

I’ll make an even bolder claim: it was the best day trip we’ve done in our WHOLE 8-month Latin America trip. Going from Mexico to Argentina, stopping at

To be honest, spending a few hours going up and down to the viewpoint is enough. Snorkelling is where the most fun is at!

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But be sure to book in advance as tours sell out! Don’t miss out on the magical opportunity of swimming with the penguins and boobies hunting for food. Trust me – it’s worth it!