San Juan Bautista, Chile

San Juan Bautista is the main town in the Juan Fernández Islands of Chile. Some sources say it was founded in 1877, while others give an earlier date of 1750. It is located on Cumberland Bay on the center of the northeast coast of Robinson Crusoe Island.

San Juan Bautista
Town
View of the town of San Juan Bautista from sea
San Juan Bautista
Coordinates: 33°38′S 78°50′W
Country Chile
RegionValparaíso
ProvinceValparaíso
CommuneJuan Fernández
Founded1877
Government
 • TypeMunicipalidad
Elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2012 census[1])
 • Total800
Time zoneUTC-4 (Chilean Standard)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-3 (Chilean Daylight)
Area code(s)56 + 9
ClimateCsb

Although the community maintains a rustic serenity dependent on the spiny lobster trade, residents employ a few vehicles, a satellite internet connection, and many television sets. As of the 2012 census, the town had a population of 800 in an area of 0.31 km2 (0.12 sq mi).

There is a soccer pitch at the northern end of the village. The nearby school is called the Dresden School, after the German light cruiser SMS Dresden which was sunk there during World War I, as is the street it is situated on. The names of other generally unpaved streets in the village include Larraín Alcalde, Ignacio Carrera Pinto, El Sándalo, Vicente González, Teniente Cortés, and La Pólvora.

Overlooking San Juan Bautista are Las Cuevas de los Patriotas (Patriots' Caves), where 42 Chilean creole independence activists lived during their exile by the Spanish authorities after the Battle of Rancagua in 1814. The exiles included prominent figures such as Juan Egaña and Manuel de Salas.

Transportation

As of early 2010, a pair of ships operated by the Chilean Navy arrive each month from mainland Chile. The number of passengers is limited, so arrangements must be made as much as a month in advance. The navy gives preference to locals. One-way trip time is 24 – 36 hours or more depending on sea conditions.

There is a short, 885 m (2,904 ft) airstrip at Robinson Crusoe Airfield in the southwestern end of the Robinson Crusoe Island, the only reasonably flat part of the island. Operations are mostly in twin-engine, seven-seat light planes, with very limited baggage capabilities. The flight time from the mainland of Chile is about 2 hours 30 minutes, plus a 1-hour 30 minute boat ferry to the village at the opposite side of the island.[2]

Climate

San Juan Bautista has a very mild Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb), with rainfall intermediate between that of Valparaíso and Concepción. Temperature is influenced by the cold Humboldt Current, which flows northward to the east of Robinson Crusoe Island, and the southeast trade winds.

Climate data for San Juan Bautista, Chile
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 22
(72)		 22
(72)		 21
(70)		 20
(68)		 18
(64)		 16
(61)		 15
(59)		 15
(59)		 15
(59)		 16
(61)		 18
(64)		 20
(68)		 18.2
(64.8)
Average low °C (°F) 15
(59)		 16
(61)		 15
(59)		 13
(55)		 12
(54)		 11
(52)		 10
(50)		 9
(48)		 9
(48)		 10
(50)		 12
(54)		 13
(55)		 12.1
(53.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 22
(0.9)		 33
(1.3)		 40
(1.6)		 90
(3.5)		 151
(5.9)		 159
(6.3)		 167
(6.6)		 114
(4.5)		 78
(3.1)		 57
(2.2)		 37
(1.5)		 28
(1.1)		 976
(38.5)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 11 10 13 15 21 23 21 19 16 14 10 10 183
Average relative humidity (%) 73 73 73 77 78 78 79 77 77 76 74 73 76
Mean monthly sunshine hours 248.0 209.0 158.1 123.0 108.5 99.0 93.0 105.4 147.0 204.6 249.0 260.4 2,005
Source: Climate & Temperature[3]

2010 tsunami

On February 27, 2010, at least eight people lost their lives when a tsunami caused by the Chilean 8.8 earthquake hit the island and inundated the town. Most of the buildings in the community were destroyed.[4] The disaster could have been worse if not for a timely warning from a 12-year-old girl named Martina Maturana which saved many of her neighbors from harm.[5]

References
  1. INE - Demografía - Demografia y Vitales
  2. "Los náufragos de la Isla Robinson", by Angel Mustienes, El Mundo, Spain. 12 February 2010.
  3. "San Juan Bautista Climate Guide to the Average Weather & Temperatures with Graphs Elucidating Sunshine and Rainfall Data & Information about Wind Speeds & Humidity:". Climate & Temperature. Retrieved 2010-03-06.
  4. Filleux, Patrick (3 March 2010). "Tsunami sur l'île Robinson Crusoé: la moitié du village emportée". AFP (in French). Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
  5. Liepmann, Erica (4 March 2010). "Chilean Girl Saves Her Island From Tsunami After Earthquake". Huffington Post. Retrieved 1 October 2012.

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