The Juan Fernandez Archipelago’s largest and only inhabited island, Isla Robinson Crusoe, started out as a pirates’ refuge, known most famously for Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish seaman who spent four years marooned there in the 18th century, which later became the base for Daniel Defoe’s classic novel, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. This island is still a very far-flung destination and takes a sense of adventure to arrive. While just 670 kilometers from the coast of Valparaiso, only light aircraft make the trip, landing on a tiny airstrip among jagged peaks. To get to the main town, San Juan Bautista, takes another hourlong boat ride. The topography, however, is among the most spectacular in Chile, with jagged peaks, green foliage, azure seas, and some of the best diving and ocean fishing in the region. Photo: Crusoe Island Lodge
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Romantic, Far-Flung Robinson Crusoe Island
The Juan Fernandez Archipelago’s largest and only inhabited island, Isla Robinson Crusoe, started out as a pirates’ refuge, known most famously for Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish seaman who spent four years marooned there in the 18th century, which later became the base for Daniel Defoe’s classic novel, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. This island is still a very far-flung destination and takes a sense of adventure to arrive. While just 670 kilometers from the coast of Valparaiso, only light aircraft make the trip, landing on a tiny airstrip among jagged peaks. To get to the main town, San Juan Bautista, takes another hourlong boat ride. The topography, however, is among the most spectacular in Chile, with jagged peaks, green foliage, azure seas, and some of the best diving and ocean fishing in the region. Photo: Crusoe Island Lodge
