Chile

Chile's offshore islands are as alluring as the country's varied mainland. Chile boasts a couple of the world's most famous islands, Easter Island and Juan Fernandez Islands. Each year, tourists fly thousands of miles to the remote Easter Island, famous for its moai sculptures and ancient ... + Read More cultural celebrations. The Fernandez Islands are closer to the mainland than Easter Island, but draw less tourists. The Juan Fernandez Islands were the basis for the tale of Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Dafoe's enduring novel about a castaway named Alexander Selkirk. He was marooned on Matasiera (now Isla Robinson Crusoe) in 1704 and lived alone in a cave for four years before being rescued by two British privateers. Literary adventurers will enjoy wondering how Selkirk occupied his time alone on his island. The Fernandez Islands were once a hideout for pirates, but now they're a haven to unique flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world. A trip to this part of the world is truly for those who like the road less travelled.

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