Juan Fernandez Islands. Chile

The Juan Fernández Islands is a sparsely inhabited island group reliant on tourism and fishing in the South Pacific Ocean, situated about 667 km off the coast of Chile. It is composed of several volcanic islands which include Robinson Crusoe and its surrounding islets: Juananga, Santa Clara and Alejandro Selkirk island.

The Juan Fernández islands are home to a high percentage of rare and endemic plants and animals, and are recognized as a distinct ecoregion. The volcanic origin and remote location of the islands meant that the islands' flora and fauna had to reach the archipelago from far across the sea; as a result, the island has relatively few plants and very few animals.

The Parque Nacional Archipiélago Juan Fernández is located on the island, in which there is an environmental Information Center. The Fuerte Santa Bárbara and the nearby Cuevas de los Patriotas are worth a visit. The island's cemetery, Mirador del Selkirk and the Cueva de Robinson Crusoe are sites that should also not be missed.

Things to see and do

* Parque Nacional Archipiélago Juan Fernández
* Environmental Information Center
* Mirador del Selkirk - island's cemetery
* Cueva de Robinson Crusoe site
* Fuerte Santa Barbara

Cruise Season - Jan - Dec
Currency - Peso (CLP)
Language - Spanish
Population - 633 approx
Land Area - 181 km²
Electricity - 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style
Time - GMT minus four hours
International Country Telephone Code - + 56

Port Location - The port is located at San Juan Bautista, the capital of Robinson Crusoe island. Cruise ships anchor offshore and passengers and transferred by tender boat.

Transport Links - Flights to the island are in small planes which can carry five to ten passengers with a baggage limit of 10 kg per person. During January and February, there are daily flights leaving the Aeropuerto Tobalaba de Santiago de Chile and they last anywhere between 2 hours 45 minutes and 3 hours 15 minutes. Flights operated by private airlines are carried out in twin-engined planes Piper Navajo which carry seven passengers.

You can arrive to the islands by boat which set sail from the port of Valparaíso. The journey lasts about 72 hours.