This island was the home of a marooned sailor, Alexander Selkirk. Selkirk had a disagreement with his English
captain, and he asked to be marooned on this small island in Spanish territory
(1704). He spent his time looking for
English ships to rescue him and hiding from Spanish ships to avoid being put to
death. This is one of several stories
that inspired the writing of Defoe's “Robinson Crusoe” in the early 1700s.
Since this was the place where Selkirk was marooned, Chile
named the island “Robinson Crusoe Island” in the 1960s.
The island has been rebuilt (the lecturer showed pictures
before/after) after an earthquake caused a destructive tsunami in 2010. The lecturer, a professor, had taken photos a
few months before the destruction of the island, and, a couple of years ago on
another trip, she presented the mayor with famed prints for inclusion in the
town’s museum.
I’m looking forward to seeing this small island and
wandering the main street. According to
the ship’s excursion guide/lecturer, there are some beautiful observation
points. 
