Bartolome' and the Pinnacle

21   Bartolome'

We begin the day with a visit to Bartolome', with a hike to the top of a volcano three hundred fifty feet above sea level.  Okay, it’s not exactly a hike.  It’s more a matter of going up a very long staircase---about 360 steps.  The stairs are not to make our lives easier but to protect the island from the erosion that would follow eager tourists hiking up the volcano.

Bartolome' shore view before we begin our ascent

Pinnacle rock

Pinnacle Rock is a cone shaped volcanic spire that formed when an underwater volcano erupted, sending up magma.  ‘Tuff’ cones created in this way have steep sides and are made of layers of ash or basalt.

Pinnacle Rock

 The view as we ascend the stairs is spectacular.  In the bottom right of the photo below you can see the shadow of the stairs we’re using to go up, and the views before us as we climb.

Bartolome'  view from ‘stairs’- Shadow of staircase in bottom right of phot

Bartolome' panorama

At the top of the stairs we take some time to catch our breath and admire the views….and the lighthouse.

Lighthouse on Bartolome'

 As I was looking at this photo I thought,  ‘windmill?’

No.

Lighthouse.

With solar panels.

(Please remember I write my travel blog based on my journals, and I'm writing from the comfort of my home.  If my notes are missing info or, as is often the case with me, barely legible, a little extra research goes a long way.)

We have some time after we descend to enjoy the white sand beach.  One more oystercatcher before we go….

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Next: Camping on Santa Cruz and Giant Tortoises