What life is like on the most densely populated island in the world, where about 500 people live on the length of 2 football fields

James PasleyMar 3, 2023, 02:43 IST

An aerial view of Santa Cruz del Islote island, located in the Colombian Caribbean, off the coast of Sucre Department, on June 30, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.Adrian Carballos de Hoyos/AFP via Getty Images

Santa Cruz del Islote off the coast of Colombia is the most densely populated island in the world.
Its population grew because of fishing, but that declined due to climate change and unsustainable practices.

Off the northern coast of Colombia in the Gulf of Morrosquillo, there is a small, barren island called Santa Cruz del Islote. It covers about 12,000 square yards — roughly the size of two football fields.

The island was uninhabited until about 150 years ago. It was smaller back then — a remote chunk of rock less than the size of one football field. Fishermen rested on it or took refuge there during storms.

Unlike neighboring islands surrounded by mangroves, Santa Cruz del Islote was mosquito free. Soon, people began to move there. They built homes and extended the island using what they foraged from the sea, including shells, sand, tree trunks, and garbage.

An aerial view of Santa Cruz del Islote in 2020.Adrian Carballos De Hoyo/AFP/Getty Images

Unlike neighboring islands surrounded by mangroves, Santa Cruz del Islote was mosquito free. Soon, people began to move there. They built homes and extended the island using what they foraged from the sea, including shells, sand, tree trunks, and garbage.

As of 2017, the island had 97 houses and 47 permanent families. The population of the island is contested. Some estimates get up to 1,200 people, but more recent estimates state there are about 500 permanent residents on the island.

Locals walk in a street at Santa Cruz del Islote island, located in the Colombian Caribbean.Adrian Carballos De Hoyo/AFP/Getty Images

As of 2017, the island had 97 houses and 47 permanent families. The population of the island is contested. Some estimates get up to 1,200 people, but more recent estimates state there are about 500 permanent residents on the island.

Regardless, almost every inch of the island has been built on. Its population is four times as dense as that of Manhattan, New York.

This is a satellite image overview of lower Manhattan in New York City, New York collected on July 18, 2006.DigitalGlobe/Getty Images

According to a local, people live so close to each other they all dream the same dream.

Locals sit in a street at Santa Cruz del Islote island, located in the Colombian Caribbean, off the coast of Sucre Department, on June 17, 2020.Adrian Carballos De Hoyo/AFP/Getty Images

The island houses a younger demographic — around 65% of the permanent residents are under 18.

Locals stand near the shore at Santa Cruz del Islote island, located in the Colombian Caribbean.Adrian Carballos De Hoyo/AFP/Getty Images

Despite its unassuming size, Santa Cruz del Islote is not an easy place to live. The island has no toilets or sewage, and there's nothing to eat except what can be fished. Drinking water, other foods, and other necessities are shipped to the island.

Inhabitants carry buckets of water in a street at Santa Cruz del Islote island, located in the Colombian Caribbean, off the coast of Sucre Department, on June 17, 2020.Adrian Carballos De Hoyo/AFP/Getty Images

Despite its unassuming size, Santa Cruz del Islote is not an easy place to live. The island has no toilets or sewage, and there's nothing to eat except what can be fished. Drinking water, other foods, and other necessities are shipped to the island.

Human rights lawyer Fernando Sanchez Jaramillo told the Independent the Cartagena government has been failing the island. The city was meant to deliver water and remove trash once a week, but it often took weeks, even months, for boats to come to the island.

Locals sit near the shore of Santa Cruz del Islote island, located in the Colombian Caribbean.Adrian Carballos De Hoyo/AFP/Getty Images

Human rights lawyer Fernando Sanchez Jaramillo told the Independent the Cartagena government has been failing the island. The city was meant to deliver water and remove trash once a week, but it often took weeks, even months, for boats to come to the island.

As for electricity, locals used to have to rely on a single diesel generator that they could only afford to run in the evenings. The government installed solar panels on the island in 2015.

The island has the only school in the region. But the school ends at 10th grade, so anyone who wants further education must leave the island, either as a daily commute or permanently. Many choose to stay and fish instead.

A local in a boat on Santa Cruz del Islote in 2020.Adrian Carballos De Hoyo/AFP/Getty Images

The island has the only school in the region. But the school ends at 10th grade, so anyone who wants further education must leave the island, either as a daily commute or permanently. Many choose to stay and fish instead.

The island has become a destination for tourists. For 5,000 pesos, a tourist can swim with nurse sharks in the island's aquarium. Since there's no space on the island, tourists have to stay on nearby islands.

Locals walking on the streets on Santa Cruz del Islote in 2020.Adrian Carballos De Hoyo/AFP/Getty Images

The island has become a destination for tourists. For 5,000 pesos, a tourist can swim with nurse sharks in the island's aquarium. Since there's no space on the island, tourists have to stay on nearby islands.

As for the future, nothing is certain. Fishing was the reason it grew in the first place, but the fisheries are declining due to climate change and unsustainable fishing practices.

Locals stand amid boats at Santa Cruz del Islote island, located in the Colombian Caribbean.Adrian Carballos De Hoyo/AFP/Getty Images

As for the future, nothing is certain. Fishing was the reason it grew in the first place, but the fisheries are declining due to climate change and unsustainable fishing practices.

The inhabitants also have no rights over the island. According to Jaramillo, there are groups who would like the island to be disbanded, including the Cartagena government and wealthy citizens who live nearby who dislike the island.

A man cuts fish at Santa Cruz del Islote island, located in the Colombian Caribbean.Adrian Carballos De Hoyo/AFP/Getty Images

The inhabitants also have no rights over the island. According to Jaramillo, there are groups who would like the island to be disbanded, including the Cartagena government and wealthy citizens who live nearby who dislike the island.

But the island has its supporters, too. Anthropologist Lavinia Fiori told the Independent she wants to help the island by creating new forms of income, such as adding restaurants for tourists over the water and investing in better fishing technology, as well as making space to grow fruit and vegetables.

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What life is like on the most densely populated island in the world, where about 500 people live on the length of 2 football fields

Off the northern coast of Colombia in the Gulf of Morrosquillo, there is a small, barren island called Santa Cruz del Islote. It covers about 12,000 square yards — roughly the size of two football fields.

The island was uninhabited until about 150 years ago. It was smaller back then — a remote chunk of rock less than the size of one football field. Fishermen rested on it or took refuge there during storms.

Unlike neighboring islands surrounded by mangroves, Santa Cruz del Islote was mosquito free. Soon, people began to move there. They built homes and extended the island using what they foraged from the sea, including shells, sand, tree trunks, and garbage.

As of 2017, the island had 97 houses and 47 permanent families. The population of the island is contested. Some estimates get up to 1,200 people, but more recent estimates state there are about 500 permanent residents on the island.

Regardless, almost every inch of the island has been built on. Its population is four times as dense as that of Manhattan, New York.

According to a local, people live so close to each other they all dream the same dream.

The island houses a younger demographic — around 65% of the permanent residents are under 18.

Despite its unassuming size, Santa Cruz del Islote is not an easy place to live. The island has no toilets or sewage, and there's nothing to eat except what can be fished. Drinking water, other foods, and other necessities are shipped to the island.

Human rights lawyer Fernando Sanchez Jaramillo told the Independent the Cartagena government has been failing the island. The city was meant to deliver water and remove trash once a week, but it often took weeks, even months, for boats to come to the island.

As for electricity, locals used to have to rely on a single diesel generator that they could only afford to run in the evenings. The government installed solar panels on the island in 2015.

The island has the only school in the region. But the school ends at 10th grade, so anyone who wants further education must leave the island, either as a daily commute or permanently. Many choose to stay and fish instead.

The island has become a destination for tourists. For 5,000 pesos, a tourist can swim with nurse sharks in the island's aquarium. Since there's no space on the island, tourists have to stay on nearby islands.

As for the future, nothing is certain. Fishing was the reason it grew in the first place, but the fisheries are declining due to climate change and unsustainable fishing practices.

The inhabitants also have no rights over the island. According to Jaramillo, there are groups who would like the island to be disbanded, including the Cartagena government and wealthy citizens who live nearby who dislike the island.