| San Juan Bautista | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| View of the town of San Juan Bautista from sea | |
| Region | Valparaíso |
| Province | Valparaíso |
| Municipalidad | Juan Fernández |
| Comuna | Juan Fernández |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipalidad |
| • Alcalde | |
| Population (2002 census[1]) | |
| • Total | 598 |
| Time zone | Chilean Standard (UTC-4 hours) |
| • Summer (DST) | Chilean Daylight (UTC-3 hours) |
| Area code(s) | Country + town = 56 + ? |
San Juan Bautista is the main town in the Juan Fernández Islands. Some sources say it was founded in 1877 while others give an earlier date of 1750. It is located on Cumberland Bay on the centre of the north-east coast of Robinson Crusoe Island.
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 2002 census the town had a population of 598 in an area of 0.31 square kilometres (0.12 sq mi).
There is a soccer pitch at the northern end of the village; there is a school called Dresden School (source), after the German light cruiser, SMS Dresden, that was sunk here during World War I. Names of the generally unpaved streets in the village include: Larraín Alcalde, Ignacio Carrera Pinto, El Sándalo, Vicente González, Teniente Cortés, La Pólvora, Dresden; a map showing the location of these streets can be seen here [2].
After the Battle of Rancagua in 1814, the Spanish authorities exiled 42 Chilean criollo independence activists to the island. The exiles, including prominent figures such as Juan Egaña and Manuel de Salas, lived in damp caves, today called Las Cuevas de los Patriotas (Patriots' Caves), above San Juan Bautista.
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San Juan Bautista has a very mild Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb), with rainfall intermediate between that of Valparaíso and Concepción.
| 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) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 22 (0.87) |
33 (1.3) |
40 (1.57) |
90 (3.54) |
151 (5.94) |
159 (6.26) |
167 (6.57) |
114 (4.49) |
78 (3.07) |
57 (2.24) |
37 (1.46) |
28 (1.1) |
976 (38.43) |
| % humidity | 73 | 73 | 73 | 77 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 77 | 77 | 76 | 74 | 73 | 75.7 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 11 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 183 |
| 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] | |||||||||||||
As of early 2010, a pair of ships arrive each month from mainland Chile. Number of passengers is limited, so arrangements must be made as much as a month in advance. The Chilean Navy gives preference to locals. One-way trip time is 24–36 hours, or more depending on sea roughness.
There is a small, 2900-ft (885 m)-long airstrip (ICAO airport code: SCIR) in the southwestern part of the island, the only reasonable flat part of Robinson Crusoe. Operations are mostly centered in twin-engine, seven-seat light airplanes, with very limited baggage capabilities. Flight time from mainland Chile is about 2 h 30 min, plus a 1 h 30 min boat ferry to the village at the opposite side of the island.[4]
On February 27, 2010, 5 people lost their lives when a tsunami caused by the Chile 8.8 earthquake hit the island and flooded the town.