When I first thought about coming to Robinson Crusoe Island it was just after the tsunami. Since the devastation wasn’t widely reported in the United States I didn’t realize the extent of the damage it had caused. 16 people had died, hundreds were displaced and scores of homes and businesses were destroyed-you can see the devastation in this picture I took below from a book on the island. So when I arrived on Robinson Crusoe Island, I didn’t know what to expect to see.
What I found was a place that was almost completely rebuilt: bustling pueblo with a lot of life. New buildings had replaced destroyed older ones and a vibrant people with a zest for life. It was as if they realized that this is their island and they must rebuild.
Walking around pueblo is a good way to see how the islanders live. There are a few cars and some paved roads that look like sidewalks but much is dirt roads or trails when you leave the initial port/town area.
There are a few stores and hostals (guesthouses essentially). There is some cool artillery around town, a soccer pitch that is new since the tsunami and there is a cemetery at the far end of town that is as colorful as the people.
Post-tsunami there are clearly marked evacuation routes always pointing up as you might expect. My buddy Francisco, who showed me around town, was in town when the tsunami hit and he had to run up a road just like this!
As you look up you will notice there is a series of caves. They are fun to explore and some have some little hidden nuances that you don’t notice until you walk, or in my case bend over, into them.
The island is most known for its seafood and in particular its lobster. In the four days I spent on the island I ate nothing but seafood and every single meal I had was delicious.
I stayed at the Crusoe Island Lodge. The lodge is somewhat isolated from the rest of pueblo by a series of steep and rocky roads. However, it is by far the best place to stay on Robinson Crusoe Island. It also offers gourmet food and I mean gourmet.
If the chef at the Crusoe Island Lodge were in New York or Paris: people would line up to eat the seafood creations concocted. The food was outstanding and always presented decadently as well.
I cannot lie, my favorite was the local lobster but all the fish and crab dishes I tried were tremendous and all from locally caught fresh seafood.
The rooms at the Crusoe Island Lodge were also excellent. Although there were no televisions in the room, the beds were outstanding and the deck views were to die for.
The staff was also amazing and treated me so well. Especially because I was sick pretty much the whole time I was there, they always offered me tea and medicine with genuine concern. I felt very welcome and at home.
The problem with being sick was that I was unable to do some of my favorite things like snorkeling and hiking or as they call it, trekking. Some of the best views of the island, I am told and saw in pictures, were from atop some of the great hike peaks. The Selkirk lookout is supposed to be the best. It is about a 3-4 hour hike but pretty steep. Normally, that would’ve been the first thing I did on island but I didn’t want to get any sicker, especially with a South Pole expedition a week later.
There are also several other hikes that offer different viewpoints in all directions of the island. One short hike I did manage to do was up to the Plazoleta el Yunque.
Plazoleta El Yunque is a really cool place and like being in another world. This is a great place to see the unique and different flora and fauna of the island. I am not normally into plants and things like that but the colors, shapes and sizes of the foliage made it great for picture taking. I really enjoyed the time and got some great photos.
So as I sit here at the very remote airport waiting for the flight to land to take me back to Santiago and I find myself reflecting on my 4 days on Robinson Crusoe Island. I won’t remember being sick or that I had a flight cancelled and was forced to stay an extra day; I will remember the beauty of the island and the hospitality of the people-not to mention the lobster!
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