On the Caribbean island it is the busiest place in the world, with no room for cars or police and everyone is related
FOUR roads, no cars or police, and 1,200 people crammed into an area the size of two football fields – welcome to the busiest place on earth.
The close-knit community of 45 families – all related to each other – lives on the the Caribbean islet Santa Cruz del Islote, a two-hour boat trip off the coast of Colombia.
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The man-made island is said to be the most densely populated island in the world and one of the most overcrowded places on the island. Soil.
It is located on the San Bernardo Archipelago, a protected coral paradise, and was built by the pioneer families on a coral platform.
With an area of just over one hectare, hundreds of islanders live in 97 houses with ribbed tin roofs crammed next to each other.
There are ten neighborhoods and four main streets, but no cars or motorcycles can drive along them. Because the distances between places are so short, people walk or take boats to get around.
There is no Police presence on Santa Cruz del Islote and that is not necessary.
That’s because everyone is related and cares for each other.
Residents say no one locks the door 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 run requires a boat trip.
It has no electricity grid, but a current generator and two solar stations provide electricity.
There is also no running water, so the majority of islanders still use the sea, and the only way to bring in drinking water is by boat from the mainland.
Drinking water is planned to be delivered in a weekly boat from Cartagena, but in reality the ship may not return for weeks or even months. The independent reported.
Islanders have since been forced to turn to the sky, with most homes having structures to absorb rainfall.
Even then, the water is untreated, leading to health problems, including stomach infections and skin diseases.
A single medical center takes care of the entire island, with a few rusting equipment and one nurse on duty.
A doctor visits every two weeks, but if there is a major illness or emergency, everyone on the island contributes to the cost of a boat to the mainland.
That assumes there is a boat available and the waters are not too rough to cross.
Islanders face similar logistical problems with waste collection, which had to be collected weekly but often remained untouched for almost a month.
To prevent even more health risks, residents take matters into their own hands and ship it to a neighboring island.
The island also has difficulty with education. The dilapidated three-storey public school only teaches children up to the primary level.
For secondary education, students have to 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 overcrowded housing are not what the community of Santa Cruz del Islote wants to be remembered for.
Beautiful photos provide a snapshot of the vibrant life on the island, where 65 percent of the population consists of young people.
Images show young people on a boat to school, or teenagers drinking and dancing at parties that last two or three days.
The huge range of hairstyles is displayed in one beautiful portrait, showing a girl staring at the camera, surrounded by her friends – all with dramatically different hairstyles.
Other shots provide insight into the poverty of the island: the tin roofs crammed together, a small garden where children can play footballa tiny bedroom of unfinished brickwork.
Many families make a living from fishing – sometimes even using a harpoon – usually diving for lobster, conch and octopus.
But everyone lives directly or indirectly from tourism.
Despite being in the Caribbean, Santa Cruz del Islote has far from paradise beaches, but the islanders have come up with a clever way to attract thousands of visitors every year.
In two aquariums, tourists can swim with local wildlife – from turtles to sharks.
The main sources of food and income for the people living on the islands have long been the abundant fish, lobsters, shrimp and sea turtles found in the Caribbean Sea.
There has been a cultural change among the islanders since they became aware of the plight facing these protected species.
Although sea turtles used to be an important food source, locals now avoid catching them.
There is a process in place to protect turtles that become trapped in fishing nets until they are picked up by a neighboring conservation group.
In addition to removing sea turtles from the menu, the islanders are also spreading awareness among locals and tourists about the urgent need to save them.
Adrian Caraballo de Hoyos leads an ecological group of 30 children, who call themselves “Saviours of the Reef”.
He told the BBC: “We all take care of the limited resources we have.
“Every day we check the fishing boats to see what they have caught.”
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