This tiny, uninhabited volcanic rock is the easternmost outpost of the Polynesian world.

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Rising from the Pacific seabed, Salas y Gómez is a remote, barren pair of rocks that serves as a vital sanctuary for seabirds. Though it lacks permanent fresh water, this Chilean island holds deep cultural significance for the Rapa Nui people and remains a mysterious, protected ecological treasure.

Salas y Gómez is a small, uninhabited volcanic island located 3,210 km west of the Chilean mainland and 391 km east-northeast of Easter Island. It consists of two rocky outcrops connected by a narrow isthmus, totaling only 15 hectares in area. The island is the summit of a massive submarine mountain that rises about 3,500 meters from the sea floor. Along with Easter Island, it is one of the few points where this extensive underwater ridge breaks the surface. Geologically, it is the fourth youngest mountain in a chain formed by the Nazca Plate moving over the Easter hotspot.

The island is notoriously difficult to access due to its steep cliffs and constant exposure to salt spray. While it lacks permanent fresh water, an intermittent rainwater pool on the eastern rock provides a critical resource for the large populations of seabirds that use the island as a rookery. Despite its barren appearance and lack of forests, it hosts a few plant species, including a specific fern, Asplenium obtusatum. The surrounding waters are part of the 150,000 km2 Parque Marino Salas y Gómez, established in 2010 to protect the unique marine ecosystem, which may include undiscovered breeding grounds for various whale species.

Historically, the island was known to the Rapa Nui people as Motu Motiro Hiva, meaning 'Islet on the way to Hiva.' While there is no evidence of permanent human habitation, Rapa Nui tradition suggests occasional visits to collect eggs and fledglings, protected by the gods Make-make and Huau. The island was first sighted by Europeans in 1793 and later named after Spanish navigators José Salas Valdés and José Manuel Gómez. Its isolation and position have long fueled speculation about historical contact between Polynesia and South America, a theory famously explored by Thor Heyerdahl.

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