Interestingly, the world’s most densely populated island remained uninhabited until the 19th century, when Afro-Colombian fishermen started coming to San Bernardo to fish. Santa Cruz del Islote, which sits on a combination of raised sea bed and coral, allowed them to stay out at sea and fish for longer periods of time, and they gradually started settling here. Over the next couple of centuries, the community steadily grew until it turned into the tight squeeze it is today.
Officially, Santa Cruz del Islote has an area of just 0.012 square kilometers and has a population of around 1,200 people, which makes it the most densely populated island in the world, by far. Many of the locals don’t like that label very much and insist that the community only numbers around 900 people, but even if that were true, it’s still an incredibly crammed space.
Santa Cruz del Islote is home to about 115 houses, about as many as could be built on the very limited land, but many of those have now started getting taller, as residents begin building upwards. The lack of space and the safety of these rising houses are two of the main concerns about the future of the island.
As the reputation of Santa Cruz del Islote as the most densely populated island in the world grew, tourists started traveling to see this unique piece of land for themselves. But locals didn’t like being filmed and photographed like hamsters in a crowded cage, so they started charging tourists for coming here. This way, at least they get something out of their visit.
Although many of us could never imagine living in sucha tiny, crowded space, the people of Santa Cruz del Islote wouldn’t live anywhere else. Yes, it’s crowded and small, drinking water has to be shipped from the mainland every week, and poverty is an undeniable problem, but the locals claim there is no crime, and the risk of getting hit by a car is non-existent, because there are no cars.
