Isla Robinson Crusoe, Chile

The second largest island of the Juan Fernandez Archipelago has been given the name of Daniel Defoe’s protagonist because it is supposed to be where Alexander Selkirk, the real-life inspiration for Crusoe, was marooned. The island was formerly named Más a Tierra, meaning closer to land, even though it lies some 462 miles west of the Chilean mainland. Its position in the South Pacific is right atop the meeting of the geologic Nazca Plate with the South American Plate that generates the volcanic activity resulting in the islands’ birth. It is a designated UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve due to the high percentage of its flora and fauna species that are endemic, including the spectacular Fire-Crowned Hummingbird and the Masatierra petrel. The island also supports Magellanic penguins.