Marooned.... Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile

Robinson Crusoe Island

We are marooned. After a great day on the island, the ship can't get its anchor to let go of a large rock. We may be here for a while, hopefully not as long as Robinson Crusoe.
Robinson Crusoe Island, as it was named in 1958 by the Chilean Government to encourage tourism, was one of the few islands to actually be newly discovered. It had no indigenous people. Juan Fernandez was the first to see it in 1574, and it was named after him.

Once a shoemaker in Scottland, Alexander Selkirk gave up that profession to become a pirateer. In 1700, when the ship he was on stopped at Mas a Tierre for new provisions, he complained about the ship's condition and said he would rather remain on the island then get back on a leaky vessel. The captain called his bluff and left him on the island with a gun, Bible, hatchet, knife, and bedding. Selkirk survived four tough years before he was rescued, and the book Robinson Crusoe was written four years after that. Ironically, his old ship sank off the coast of Columbia. The surviving crew and captain were captured by the Spanish and put in jail in Lima, Peru.

Caves from the 1840s Penal Colony

Chile used this deserted island over 400 miles off the Chilean Coast as a penal colony in the early 1800s. Prisoners lived in caves facing cold, heat, hunger and
isolation until it was abandoned.

A permanent community was finally settled in the 1890s, and now 800 people live here, almost all working in the fishing industry. Fish farming is done right off the pier. We were served their jurel fish at our "Pirate Party" and had spiny lobster for dinner on the ship, purchased that morning by our amazing chef. The island supplies Santiago restaurants with this local delicacy. Besides fishing, they are gallantly trying to grow tourism.

Houses Passed on our Way up the Trail to the National Park

This Sweet Town has THREE Lending Libraries!

The island has been designated a UNESCO biosphere and the entire island is a National Park except for the small village area and its airstrip. We set out to find a plaque to Selkirk at the top of one of the peaks. Enjoying the magnificent mountain views Carol missed a step, falling hard on her knee and both wrists before we even reached the trailhead. Luckily nothing broke and we marched on.

The trail took us up the mountainside through dry, sunny conditions, then back into a lush rain forest at the top.


We stopped to see the foundation of Selkirk's house halfway up the mountain, as we hiked with our faithful dog, who went the whole way with us. At the top, we could look over into the next valley as wind and mist rushed passed us.

Meeting a Pack Horse at the Top of the Trail
Maintained by the National Park Service of Chile

View of the Other Side From Observation Deck at the Top of the Pass

After the morning hike we enjoyed the festivities at an Ecolodge hosted by the locals...fried Jurel fish, Pisco sours, a singing pirate, and a local band playing from the balcony. Pirates, lads, and lasses waited on us in costumes, and a young Robinson Crusoe from Santiago originally but now scuba diving around the sunken Dresden, welcomed us. This tiny remote town did a five-star job and we wish them well as they told us "tourism is their future".

Pirate Party Hosted by the
Whole Town of San Bautista

Alexander Selkirk ( Robinson Crusoe)
Showing off his Rifle to Carol

Most Likely a Fisherman When Not Fiddling

Cemetery with Plaque to the Dresden Ship Sunk in WWI

Foundations of Homes Destroyed
 by the 1980
Tsunami

It was an amazing day... one of our very best yet...except the anchor is still stuck. We are marooned!

After a few hours...the rock was dislodged and we sailed away from this magical island. Perhaps it was our "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow.