You give me a hairstyle, and I'll give you fish for lunch: how a thousand people get along on an island the size of a football field

Santa Cruz del Istole is considered one of the most densely populated islands in the world. Formally, it is part of Colombia, but despite the rare contacts of residents with the outside world, in reality the island is cut off from the world (except for tourists).

The island seems to be taken from the pages of Gabriel Garcia Marquez: 18 families live in 97 houses, a thousand people get along on a plot of land the size of a football field. There is a school and a restaurant on the island — it is also a port, and the population lives off fishing and tourism.

Team spirit prevails on the island. Families in need of help can always count on the support of their neighbors. Instead of monetary relations, there are mutual services such as cooking, cleaning and caring for children and the elderly.

Photo: Charlie Cordero

More than half of the population are young people. The streets are always full of bright clothes, and the houses are painted with colors — in general, people live in their own rhythm, pouring energy into street games, fashion and parties.

Children are taught to swim and fish from an early age, and they spend the whole day on the shore — fishing and managing boat gear. There is no violence on the island, there have never been armed conflicts and people are not worried about crime.

Children play in the streets, and teenagers covered in tattoos listen to rap in Spanish, while adults relax in the shade, discuss boxing and cook food. With the advent of the Internet, some of the young people, learning about the world around them, begin to think about leaving home and experiencing the "real" life outside the island.

Lucero is the main stylist of the island. Her unusual ideas are very popular, giving teenagers the opportunity to express themselves. The young people on the island are very creative — everyone is constantly changing their hairstyles and coloring their hair.

There are enough problems on the island: limited supplies of drinking water, lack of sewerage, difficulties with garbage disposal and pollution of the island.

Despite the difficulties, life on the island goes on as usual. The country's municipal services are developing a plan to solve the pollution problem, and residents are successfully exchanging their loot for what they lack.

The locals themselves, despite their modest lifestyle, do not consider themselves poor, since they do not have large expenses.

Keywords: Caribbean islands | Colombia | Island | Fishermen | Tourists

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