Santa Cruz del Islota is an artificial island belonging to the San Bernardo Archipelago off the coast of Colombia. It has no cars, no policemen, but it does have thousands of tourists who flood it every year.
The island is very small - its area is one hectare (10,000 square meters) and the population density is 10 square meters for every 1.25 inhabitants, or 125,000 inhabitants per square kilometer. The inhabitants of the island live in only 97 houses, all covered with tin roofs, spread over 10 neighborhoods. The community is so united (and most of them are also relatives) that no one locks the doors. No crime has ever been reported in this pastoral place - a fact that really does not characterize Colombia, which is plagued by crime. It is one of the reasons the island attracts so many tourists, according to the New York Times, because it has no sewage system, police, hospital, or garbage collection. What do the residents do for a living and how many tourists come? There is no drinking water, no garbage disposal, no doctor, and no education. The islanders make a living by fishing for lobsters, sea turtles, conch shells, and octopi. Although sea turtles used to be their main food source, local residents now avoid catching them and even take actions to protect sea turtles caught in fishing nets until they are collected by a local conservation group. The residents of the island also encounter similar difficulties with the removal of garbage and waste, which is supposed to be done every week but is often neglected for almost a month. In order to obtain a secondary education, the students have to go to Cartagena, where they always show a big gap with their peers. Many of the island's residents prefer to stay there and continue the traditional family business of fishing. For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritan branch or click here for details.