Inside the world’s most crowded place on Caribbean island with no room for cars, no police – and everyone is related

8 months ago 5

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FOUR roads, no cars or police, and 1200 people crammed into an area as big as two football pitches – welcome to the most crowded place on Earth.

The tight-knit community of 45 families – all related to each other – live on the Caribbean islet of Santa Cruz del Islote, which lies a two-hour boat ride off the coast of Colombia.

Santa Cruz del Islote sits off the coast of Colombia[/caption]

A view from above shows the crammed tinned roofs next to each other[/caption]

There are 1200 residents living in the tiny man-made island[/caption]

The man-made island is claimed to be the most densely populated island in the world and one of the most overcrowded places on Earth.

It sits on the Archipelago of San Bernardo, a protected coral paradise, and was built on a coral platform by the pioneer families.

With an area just surpassing one hectare, hundreds of islanders live in 97 homes with ridged tin roofs crammed next to each other.

There are ten neighbourhoods and four main streets, but no cars or motorcycles can ride along them. As distances between places are also so short, people either walk or take boats to get around.

There is no police presence on Santa Cruz del Islote and there’s no need for it, either.

That is because everyone is related and looks out for one another.

Residents say that nobody locks their doors and no crime has ever been reported.

The dead are buried on a nearby island, there are no toilets, the children play in the sea, and even a kick-around requires a boat ride.

It has no electrical grid, but a power generator and two solar stations provide electricity.

There is no running water either, so the majority of islanders still utilise the sea, and the only means of bringing in drinking water is by boat from the mainland.

Drinking water is meant to be delivered in a weekly boat from Cartagena, but in reality the ship might not return for weeks or even months, The Independent reported.

Islanders have since been forced to turn to the skies, with most homes having a structure to collect rainfall.

Even then, the water is untreated, which leads to health problems including stomach infections and skin diseases.

A single medical centre takes care of the whole island, with a few pieces of rusting equipment and one nurse on duty.

A visiting doctor comes every two weeks, but if there is a major disease or emergency, everyone on the island contributes to the cost of a boat to the mainland.

That is assuming a boat is available and the waters are not too rough to cross.

Islanders face similar logistic issues with waste collection, which was meant to be collected weekly but it often went untouched for almost a month.

Taking matters into their own hands to avoid more health risks, residents ship it off to a neighbouring island.

The island also challenges with education. The dilapidated three-story Public School only teaches children up to the basic level.

For secondary education, the pupils must go to Cartagena, where they are always well behind their peers.

Instead, many people want to stay on Islote and pursue the traditional family business of fishing.

But poverty and crammed homes is not what the Santa Cruz del Islote community wants to be remembered by.

Stunning pictures provide a snapshot into vibrant life on the island where young people make up 65 per cent of its population.

Shots show youngsters on a boat to school, or teenagers drinking and dancing at parties that last up to two or three days.

The vast range of hairdos are shown in one beautiful portrait, where a girl stares at the camera surrounded by her friends – all with dramatically different hairstyles.

Other shots give an insight into the island’s poverty – the ridged tin roofs crammed next to each other, a tiny yard for children to play football, a minuscule bedroom made of unfinished brickwork.

Many families make a living from fishing – sometimes even using a harpoon – usually diving for lobster, conch and octopus.

But directly or indirectly, everyone makes a living from tourism.

Despite sitting in the Caribbean, Santa Cruz del Islote is far from having paradise beaches, but islanders designed a clever way to attract thousands of visitors every year.

Two aquariums allow tourists to swim with local wildlife – from turtles to sharks.

For a very long time, the main sources of food and revenue for the people living on the islands have been the abundant fish, lobster, prawns and sea turtles found in the Caribbean Sea.

There has been a change in culture among islanders since they became aware of the plight facing these protected species.

Although sea turtles were formerly a major source of food, locals now avoid capturing them.

There is a process in place to protect turtles that become trapped in fishing nets until they are picked up by a neighbouring conservation group.

In addition to removing sea turtles from the menu, islanders also spread awareness among locals and tourists about the urgent need to save them.

Adrian Caraballo de Hoyos leads an ecological group of 30 children, calling themselves “Saviours of the Reef”.

He told the BBC: “We all look after the limited resources that we have.

“We check the fishermen’s boats each day to see what they’ve caught.”