Tristán de Acuña, the most remote island in the world that lives off the sale and export of lobsters

Tristán de Acuña, one of the overseas territories of the United Kingdom, is the most inaccessible inhabited island in the world. This small territory full of peculiarities is located in the South Atlantic and has 245 inhabitants, of which 133 are women and 112 men.

To get to Tristán de Acuña it is necessary to fly to Cape Town (South Africa) and then have to take a sailboat that takes us for 18 days. Without a doubt, an adventure, since in that time interval the appearance of fog is very possible.

The town has a modern hospital and a modest school, both with a doctor and a teacher, respectively, who are on the island on temporary contracts from the United Kingdom. There is also a café, a lounge for social events, a post office and a pub.

And how do they entertain themselves on such a small island? Tristán de Acuña has an area of ​​99 km2, almost a fifth less than that of Andorra. Despite this, its inhabitants spend a good part of their time barbecuing, playing instruments and singing. “Most of the people prefer to spend their free time in front of the screens”, says one of its inhabitants to BBC.

The island’s income, approximately 70%, is based mainly on the sale and export of lobsters. Unfortunately, the blockade in South Africa meant that ships carrying goods were unable to leave the docks in Cape Town.

“The supply chain, which is fragile at best, was severely affected,” says one of its inhabitants. “It is not uncommon for this to happen, but who knows when fresh food will arrive again with the current situation,” they comment from the island. In contrast, the great news is that the Covid has never reached Tristán de Acuña since the pandemic began.