For over a century, Robinson Crusoe Island has been on the radar for treasure hunters from around the world, drawn by the legends from corsairs and pirates who found refuge here. The most emblematic expeditions are those of Matías Cousiño and Bernard Káiser, who have been hunting for treasure for over 20 years.

The tourism boom at the start of the 1970s brought with it a series of plastic elements that were practically unknown on the island, such as plastic cutlery, cups, clothing and tents, this gave rise to the nickname “the plastics” to refer to outsiders, a term used to this day.

The famous novel Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719 and translated into over 100 languages, tells the story of an English castaway who spent 28 years on a desert island at the mount of the Orinoco, close to Venezuela. The author, Daniel Defoe, was inspired by the true story of the Scottish sailor Alejandro Selkirk, who was abandoned and lived on these lonely islands for over 4 years. After being rescued in 1709, his story traveled the world until it reached the ears of the author.

The Robinson Crusoe and Alejandro Selkirk Islands were originally called ‘Más A Tierra’, Closer to Land, and ‘Más Afuera’, Further Away. The Uruguayan writer, Blanca Luz Brum, who lives on the island, inspired by Defoe’s famous novel, proposed the changing of the names in 1966, to stimulate tourism.

The collective imagination of Juan Fernández is populated by mythological characters and legends based on stories that occurred in different parts of the islands. ‘El chancho jabalí’, The boar, ‘El español’, The Spaniard, ‘La viuda’, The widow, and ‘Los duendes’, The goblins, are some of the stories that the islanders transmit orally, and that are revived every year on October 31st, to celebrate the Day of the Dead.

The community of Juan Fernández has its own slang, whose origins date back over 100 years. Many of these terms refer to local stories of characters or are used with a particular meaning. Sayings like “pa perro”, “constantiado”, “brea” or “estar bencho/a”, are part of the everyday language on the island.

On the islands, there is an extensive local songbook of stories and anecdotes of the people of Juan Fernández, that have been transmitted from generation to generation. This music of oral tradition is part of the collective memory and identity of the community of Juan Fernández and key to local festivities and celebrations.

In Juan Fernández the practice of greeting is a duty, a standard courtesy that everyone complies with. Whether walking down a street or along a path, the custom is to greet whoever crosses your path, even if you already greeted each other that day, and regardless of whether both of you are acquainted. Failure to greet can be considered an offence.