Located in the waters of the Caribbean, within Colombia, Santa Cruz del Islote is the most populous island in the world. On this small island, the size of only two football fields, a community of 1200 people lives in 97 houses. However, there is much more to the island than its size. Living on this island is not limited to just a crowded population; It also offers a unique set of challenges and an experience full of beauty. This enterprising community offers a unique lifestyle and culture of solidarity and a story that transcends the island’s borders.
Santa Cruz del Islote is an island located off the coast of Colombia’s Bolivar Department, close to Tolú and Coveñas. This island is part of the San Bernardo Archipelago and most densely populated island in the worldAlthough it is among the largest, there are significant differences in exact estimates of its population.
Santa Cruz del IsloteAlthough there are facilities to meet basic needs such as schools, restaurants and a port, those living here often have to travel to surrounding islands to work. This small island attracts attention not only with its physical dimensions, but also with the solidarity and harmonious lifestyle of its inhabitants.
Tough Life in Santa Cruz del Islote
‘Santa Cruz del Islote’Most of the people living in electric It meets its needs with solar panels. Approximately 65% of the island’s population consists of young people, and these young people spend their free time swimming in the sea and holding swimming competitions among themselves. The island is located across Morrosquillo Bay in the Bolivar region of Colombia.
This seemingly fun island is actually home to a very poor community. Lack of clean drinking water and garbage problem are among the biggest problems. Children often spend time together and learn fishing from an early age. Although the island has an active street life, there are almost no cases of violence or crime.
Fashion designer Lucero, one of the island’s residents, usually braids girls’ hair and does haircuts in her spare time. Around the monument of Virgen del Carmen, considered the greatest saint of the island, locals pray for a better future.
Parties held on the island usually last three days, and in these events where beer and rum are abundant, young people with tattoos and dreadlocks have fun with Spanish rap songs. The island, designed with colorful buildings and narrow streets, has a sewage problem, but despite the heat, children do not hesitate to play football in the streets. Adults play card games in shaded areas.
Several days a week, island residents attend to health complaints by visiting a doctor known for his energetic and colorful personality. Island youth and children are often looking for opportunities to live on the mainland for a better future.
Since the houses on the island are generally built adjacent to each other, it may sometimes be necessary to pass through someone else’s house to go somewhere. This situation is more common when considering that houses are often small and large families live together.
History of Santa Cruz del Islote Island
The island of Santa Cruz del Islote, uninhabited until the 1860s, became a preferred place for fishermen from Cartagena and Tolú to rest and shelter from storms. The first settlers of the island created living spaces on the island with materials they collected from the sea, including seashells, coconut shells, tree trunks from neighboring islands, sand and even garbage. The island attracted attention not only for being surrounded by corals and abundant fish, but also for its absence of mosquitoes. Locals attribute the lack of mosquitoes to the lack of beaches and mangroves on the island.
According to photographer Charlie Cordero, one day the tide brought a cross made of cement. The first settlers took this cross and placed it in the middle of the island. From that day on, the island began to be called Santa Cruz del Islote.
Due to the small size of the island, some of the local population migrated to the neighboring islands of Tintipán Island and Mucura Island. In 2013, the community council was established by residents to address local issues. In 2018, the island and some residences were flooded due to the tidal wave.
In August 2020, the Government of Colombia, at an event attended by the Minister of Technology and the Governor of the Bolivar Department, established a 24-hour uninterrupted free Internet service for the island, called Zona Digital Rural. Thanks to this service, citizens can COVID-19 They were able to access distance education during the pandemic. Previously, the expensive and poor quality of services made it difficult to carry out administrative and educational activities from home. On July 2, 2021, the island became the first region in Colombia to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Government Policy in Santa Cruz del Islote
Santa Cruz del IsloteGeographically, it is part of the San Bernardo Archipelago in the Bolivar Department in northern Colombia and is protected by the Colombian Navy. Due to its small size, it is not an autonomous region.
The island is home to an Afro-Colombian community. There is no crime or violence on the island where the police do not work. There is also a conservation aquarium that is home to turtles, fish, stingrays and small sharks. Tourists visiting the island can dive in this aquarium.
Santa Cruz del Islote has a school, a restaurant, a health clinic and a small square that also serves as a port. Most of the island’s people meet their electricity needs with solar panels. However, there is no toilet or sewage system on the island; clean drinking water, food and other basic needs are imported from outside the island. Although the island has contracted with a cleaning company for waste management, it has problems with pollution and garbage management. The island has taken steps towards environmental and recycling programs.
On the island, whose economy is based on services such as cooking, cleaning and tourism guidance, as well as fishing, especially children are taught fishing and swimming from an early age. According to The Guardian, the island has an active street life: “Groups of children run freely, traditional street games are played, young people with dreadlocks and tattoos listen loudly to Spanish rap, and adults sit in the shade talking about boxing and sports and preparing meals.” .
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