Robinson Crusoe Island
Where a Scottish sailor was marooned for four years, on an island of species found nowhere else.
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Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish privateer, asked to be put ashore here in 1704 after quarrelling with his captain about the state of the ship, and lived alone on the island for four years and four months before being picked up in 1709; Defoe's novel of 1719 drew on the case, and Chile renamed the island in 1966. The archipelago is far more significant biologically than literarily: something over a hundred plant species grow here and nowhere else, along with the Juan Fernandez firecrown, a hummingbird down to a few hundred birds. Introduced goats, rabbits and rats have done most of the damage. A tsunami in 2010 destroyed much of the village.
What you actually see
- Selkirk's island - marooned 1704, taken off in 1709.
- Renamed in 1966 - for Defoe's novel.
- Over a hundred endemic plants - found nowhere else on earth.
- The Juan Fernandez firecrown - a hummingbird down to a few hundred.
When to go
October to March. Several days, given the transport.
Honest expectations
Flights are in small aircraft, expensive, and cancelled by weather regularly - being stranded for days is normal. The airstrip is an hour and a half by boat from the village. Accommodation is limited. The 2010 tsunami is recent history here.
Nearby
Santa Clara and Selkirk islands are in the same archipelago.
What to pack for Robinson Crusoe Island
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
