Santa Cruz del Islote is a tiny coral island, and one of the smallest, in the archipelago of San Bernardo off the coast of Colombia. It is only 2.4 acre in size, yet, it’s home to 1,200 people. That’s a population density four times that of Manhattan.

But Santa Cruz del Islote is no Manhattan. There is no running water or sewage system. Electricity runs for just five hours a day from a generator, and fresh water is dropped off by the Colombian navy once every three weeks. So why do people live there?

Photo credit: CNTraveller