Enjoy this post? Save and share!

Most people climb 364 steps to the summit — we chose the zodiac and saw Bartolomé’s Galapagos magic differently.

If you’re wondering whether the Bartolomé Island tour is worth the long boat ride, the famous 364-step climb, and the hefty price tag, I had those same questions.

Short answer: yes — if iconic Galapagos scenery, blue-footed boobies, penguins, and one of the most recognizable views in the islands are on your Bucket List.

During our 30 days in the Galapagos, Bill and I did snorkeling day trips from all three inhabited islands and learned quickly that no two tours are alike. In this review, I’ll help you decide if the Bartolomé Island Snorkeling Trip is the right fit for you — and what I wish I’d known before booking.

Affiliate disclaimer telling readers that if they click on any of the red links on my website, I may receive a small bit of compensation at no additional cost to them.

If you end up booking this tour, I’d be appreciative if you use the red links provided. It doesn’t cost you anything, but it allows me to keep sharing free resources with readers.

Quick Facts on the Bartolomé Island Tour

What It’s Known For: The Bartolomé Snorkeling Tour is known for the iconic Pinnacle Rock viewpoint, dramatic volcanic scenery, and snorkeling with sea lions, sea turtles, tropical fish, and sometimes penguins.
Leaves from: Santa Cruz
Tour Duration: 11–12 hours (The website says 8 hours, but our experience was from 7 AM to 7 PM)
Boat Ride Duration: About 2.5–3 hours each way, plus a 40-minute van ride to the boat landing each way
Amount of Snorkeling Time: Approximately 1 hour
Who This Is Good For: This is a good fit if you want classic Galapagos scenery, snorkeling, and a chance to see penguins. It’s a long day, but seeing Pinnacle Rock and penguins in person made it feel worth it to us.
Good to Know: This tour is only offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays so you’ll want to plan around that.

Because Bartolomé is part of the protected Galapagos UNESCO World Heritage Site, access is limited and tours only run on certain days (See above). If this tour is on your shortlist, I wouldn’t wait too long to book.

Check Availability for the Bartolomé Island Tour

PLAN YOUR TRIP WITH OUR
FAVORITE TOOLS

– Best Lodging site: Booking.com
– Book Day Tours here: Viator.com
– Rent Cars here: DiscoverCars.com

Our Experience on the Bartolomé Island Snorkeling Tour

We met by the Santa Cruz pier at 7:00 AM, then took a van about 40 minutes across the island to board a zodiac that ferried us to the Galaxy Daily yacht, our home for the day.

And really? The yacht itself was part of the experience.

It was easily the nicest day boat we took during our time in the Galapagos — comfortable salon, couches, Wi-Fi, good food, space to spread out. On a day with nearly six hours of boat time, that mattered.

Travelers sit on cushioned gray sofas inside a bright boat lounge with ocean views through large windows and a Galapagos route map on the wall. The comfortable indoor lounge made the long boat ride to Bartolomé Island much easier.

The crossing to Bartolomé was long and very choppy in the middle, but the salon made it bearable. We ended up spending much of the ride chatting with a fun Australian family and a couple from Singapore who we kept running into later on other islands.

We Skipped the 364 Steps — And Didn’t Regret It

The land portion of this cruise involves a famous summit hike for the Pinnacle Rock viewpoint. Most people on our cruise took that option. But Bill had done it on his previous trip to the Galapagos and didn’t feel the need to repeat it.

A long wooden staircase climbs straight up a dry volcanic hill toward a small lighthouse and viewpoint under a clear blue sky. The stairs are a major part of the Bartolomé Island tour and make the viewpoint feel more like a real climb than a casual walk.

We chose the zodiac option instead — and I’m so glad we did.

Kari and Bill smile in bright orange life jackets beside their guide on a small Zodiac boat surrounded by calm blue water. The Zodiac ride was part of the Bartolomé Island tour experience before exploring the coastline and wildlife.

A guide took the four of us who skipped the climb around the shoreline by zodiac, where we got remarkably close to Galapagos penguins, sea lions, a blue-footed booby, and Pinnacle Rock itself. We got to see it from both sides which the climbers did not.

Pinnacle Rock rises sharply from bright blue water beside Bartolomé Island while a tour boat floats nearby. This iconic Galapagos view is one of the main reasons travelers book the Bartolomé Island tour from Santa Cruz.

And yes — my first penguin sighting ever. I was so excited! This is the fairly small Galapagos Penguin.

A Galapagos penguin stands on reddish volcanic rock along the shoreline of Bartolomé Island. Seeing penguins from the zodiac was one of the biggest surprises and highlights of our Bartolomé tour.

Galapagos penguin standing upright on rugged lava rocks at Bartolome Island, viewed from behind with flippers extended.

We also got a chance to see the Blue-footed Booby. Mind you, we were not this close to the animals – my camera has a really good zoom!

Close-up of a blue-footed booby perched on volcanic rock at Bartolome Island in the Galapagos, showing its bright blue feet and patterned feathers.

Honestly, this may have been my favorite part of the whole tour.

If climbing those stairs doesn’t appeal to you, ask if there are any alternatives.

When everyone was back on the boat, we were served a delicious lunch.

A white plate holds fish in pale yellow sauce with rice, vegetables, green beans, and fried plantain rounds on a boat lunch table.

Snorkeling at Bartolomé

My friend Kenny had told me that for him, snorkeling at Bartolome was like jumping into an aquarium full of fish. So my expectations were sky high.

The snorkeling was good… but for me, it was not same experience that Kenny had. Which just goes to show that same place + different day = different experience. At first, I was really underwhelmed. A few fish, large sea stars, clear water.

Then it improved near the rocky shoreline, where I spotted a large sea turtle and swam under a sea lion resting on rocks.

A dark Galapagos sea lion rests upright on jagged black lava rock with a white sailboat floating in the background. Wildlife sightings along the coast added another memorable layer to the Bartolomé Island tour.

That was magical. And then some penguins swam past me under the water – so cool!

But I also made the rookie mistake of getting out of the water too early.

Apparently, the guide later gathered the remaining snorkelers and showed them sharks and more marine life that I missed.

Lesson learned: Stay in longer.

Bill also struggled with his provided snorkel gear not fitting well, which made me wish we’d brought our own masks and snorkels. After that, we did bring our own for the rest of the tours.

Still, swimming near penguins and sea lions at Pinnacle Rock is something I’ll never forget.

Many of the guests took naps on the long way back which was easy given the comfortable couches and provided pillows. No other tour we went on had such a nice set up for relaxing.

It was a very long day and we were dropped off back in Puerto Ayora about 7:00 PM.

Passengers relax and nap on gray couches inside the boat lounge beneath a wall-mounted television and wide windows. This shows the more comfortable boat setup we had on our Bartolomé Island tour.

Ad for Facebook Group Achieve Your Bucket List. Community of travelers helping each other achieve Bucket List travel dreams.

What We Loved

Biggest highlights:

Seeing my first Galapagos penguins and my first Blue-footed Booby
Getting Pinnacle Rock views from the zodiac without the climb
Snorkeling with turtles and sea lions
The dramatic volcanic “lunar landscape” scenery
The comfort of the yacht itself
Meeting fellow travelers who we kept running into across the different islands

And the lunch onboard was surprisingly excellent. I wasn’t expecting memorable fish with yellow sauce on a day trip, but here we are. We never got food like that on any of the other day tours we did in the Galapagos.

Things to Know Before You Book the Bartolomé Island Tour

1. This Is a Very Long Day

Our “day tour” was really about 12 hours. That surprised me. If you picture a casual day trip, recalibrate. Much of the day is spent in transportation to and from Bartolomé.

2. Bring Something to Do on the Boat

This may be my biggest practical tip. Bring:

Book or Kindle
Puzzle book or Sudoku
Downloaded movie or show
Music or podcasts

I played way too much Solitaire on my phone during 6 hours of boat time. I was really bored.

3. Bring Your Own Snorkel Gear if You Have It

Rental gear worked, but not perfectly. Fit matters. We always brought our own mask and snorkel on tours after that.

4. Ask About the Zodiac Alternative

If the 364-step climb doesn’t appeal to you, ask whether your operator offers the wildlife zodiac option. I may have enjoyed it more than the summit.

5. Pack for Comfort

I’d bring:

Socks for cold salon air conditioning
Dry bag for wet swimwear
Light jacket for boat ride
Seasickness meds if needed
Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat
Something to do on the boat ride

Small things make a big difference on a long day.

Did the Bartolomé Island Tour Live Up to the Hype?

Mostly yes — but maybe not in the way I expected.

I expected the snorkeling to be the headline. For me, the scenery and wildlife ended up being the stars.

Bartolomé felt less like “best snorkel day ever” and more like one of those classic Galapagos experiences you do because it’s iconic.

And I’m glad we did.

FINAL TAKE

Bartolomé is worth it if Pinnacle Rock, penguins, and classic Galapagos scenery are high on your list.

It’s a long day. It can be bumpy.

And the snorkeling may or may not blow you away.

But the volcanic landscapes, wildlife, and sheer iconic-ness of the experience make this feel like one of those Galapagos “you have to do it once” excursions.

And if you can see penguins from a zodiac without climbing 364 stairs?

That feels like winning.

Ready to book Bartolomé? Check availability early — Capacity is limited so I wouldn’t leave it to the last minute. Remember that this tour is only offered on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Check Availability for the Bartolomé Island Tour

Still comparing Galapagos snorkeling tours? My guide to Choosing the Right Galapagos Snorkeling Tour for You can help you decide whether Bartolomé, Kicker Rock, Los Túneles, or another day trip is the best fit for you personally.

More Galapagos Travel Guides

Here are some more posts about visiting the Galapagos Islands. If you’d like to receive emails when I’ve posted new content to the site, please complete the short form above.

Overall Galapagos Planning Guides

Santa Cruz Island Galapagos Guides

Isabela Island Galapagos Guides

San Cristobal Island Galapagos Guides

Ad for Facebook Group Achieve Your Bucket List. Community of travelers helping each other achieve travel dreams.