From November to March, Robinson Crusoe
island is accessible by charter flight. About 3 hours
from Santiago located in the archipelago of Juan Fernández,
1.073 miles off the coast of South America. It owes its
name to the story of the shipwreck of Alexander Selkirk,
immortalized in the famous novel "Robinson Crusoe",
by Daniel Defoe. Accommodations are at the El
Pangal Hostelry.
True to its description in the story, the
island is a fascinating lost paradise. Like Easter Island,
Juan Fernández is of volcanic origin, dating from
about 3 millions years ago; one of the submarine volcanoes
near the same "hotspot" erupted in 1835. The
three islands of the archipelago - Robinson Crusoé,
Santa Clara and Alexander Selkirk- rise steeply out of
the Pacific, with few beaches and a limited number of
protected bays, possibly formed by ancient volcanic craters.
The archipelago is currently a World Biosphere
Reserve. It's landscape does justice to the novel, with
peaks rising 1.500 metres above sea level, paths for walks
and a beach with temperate waters where one can swim or
scuba dive in places where there are sunken ships or fish
for lobster. Seventy percent of the plant species in the
island are endemic, giant ferns known as palmillos, the
endemic chonta palm, and wide variety of climbing vines
are among the island’s most noteworthy flora.
The island's fauna is no less remarkable,
with three endemic land birds - including the spectacular
Juan Fernández fire crown, a native hummingbird-
and a rich marine ecosystem with innumerable schooling
fish and a recovering population of Juan Fernández
fur seals, hunted to near extinction during the 19th century.
Plants and animals introduced from the mainland, which
have long threatened the integrity of native ecosystems,
are being eliminated from the island in an ambitious project
funded in part by the Dutch government.
Trekking is not only the best way to visit
Robinson Crusoe's steep, heavily forested interior - it
is the only way. Rugged trails connect the town of San
Juan Bautista with highlight attractions such as the Mirador
de Selkirk - to which the shipwrecked sailor climbed each
day to scan the horizon for ships- and lead on to Cerro
El Yunque, at 915 metres the highest point on the island.
Contact
us to include an adventure on Robinson Crusoe Island
on your next trip to Chile.
