Robinson Crusoe, the hidden jewel of the Chilean Pacific and why you should know it

Walking uphill to sharp peaks, photographing impressive cliffs, relaxing on impossible beaches and diving in the best places in South America, are just some of the adventures you can take on the dazzling and strangely little known, Robinson Crusoe Island.

It is part of the Juan Fernández Archipelago, which also includes the Santa Clara and Selkirk islands; it is 670 kilometers from the coast of Valparaíso and even then, only 1% of Chileans have set foot in it. Only 500 people live on the island, and few travelers visit it, which is why it remains pristine, but that is not all that Robinson Crusoe has to offer.

It is legendary, its reputation precedes it. The island gave a fascinating story to the writer Daniel Dafoe and in exchange, this and his novel, gave him the name he now holds. The famous book tells how a man named Robinson Crusoe  is shipwrecked. The story was inspired by the real events that happened to the Scottish navigator, Alejandro Selkirk, at the beginning of 1700 when he was abandoned by his crew on the island for more than 4 years.

But not only has an interesting anecdote boasted this little known jewel of the Chilean Pacific. The majority of its territory, remains completely virgin. Its flora is 61 times more abundant than that of the Galapagos Islands, 64% of which is endemic. In addition, its waters are one of the best places to dive in South America, for its tremendous variety of fauna, which brings together the largest number of marine species unique in the world. That is why Unesco has named it Biosphere Reserve.

To get to the island, you can take a plane from the aerodromes of Tobalaba, Pudahuel or Torquemada in Viña del Mar. After approximately two and a half hours, you will land at the Robinson Crusoe airfield, and then sail by boat to the town of Saint John Baptist.

What are you waiting to go and meet it?