The World's Largest Uninhabited Tropical Islands

Where Nature Rules: The Tropics' Largest Uninhabited Islands

Picture this: an island stretching for hundreds of square kilometers, lush with rainforest or volcanic rock, alive with rare wildlife — and not a single permanent resident in sight. The world’s largest uninhabited tropical islands are far bigger, wilder, and more pristine than most people realize.

Let’s journey to the tropics and meet these colossal islands where nature reigns supreme.

Defining "Uninhabited" — It's Trickier Than You Think

Before we crown any island, we have to wrestle with definitions.

• Does a park ranger living there count as “inhabited”?
• What if people visit seasonally but never year-round?
• Is a research station enough to remove “uninhabited” status?

For our purposes, we’re talking about islands with no permanent residents — no villages, no year-round human activity. Short-term scientific visits don’t count.

1. Fernandina Island, Galápagos – The King of the Tropics

Size: ~642 km²
Country: Ecuador

Fernandina isn’t just the largest uninhabited island in the tropics — it’s one of the most pristine ecosystems on Earth. This active shield volcano sits on the western edge of the Galápagos, steaming with geothermal activity and crawling with marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and Galápagos penguins.

No buildings. No ranger stations. No tourist facilities. Access is tightly restricted to protect its fragile wildlife, and most visitors only ever glimpse its shores from a boat.

2. Ilha de Maracá, Brazil – A Rainforest Fortress

Size: ~381 km²
Country: Brazil

Just 6 km off Brazil’s far-northern coast, Ilha de Maracá is technically a biological reserve. Despite a small ranger outpost, it has no permanent civilian settlement. The island is a tangle of tropical rainforest and river channels — a paradise for jaguars, giant otters, and hundreds of bird species.

3. Isla Turuépano, Venezuela – The Forgotten Giant

Size: ~216.7 km²
Country: Venezuela

Hiding in the Orinoco Delta, Isla Turuépano is part of a national park but has no buildings, ranger posts, or scheduled visits. It’s a labyrinth of wetlands and mangroves, alive with birds and aquatic mammals, but utterly devoid of permanent human life.

4. Tetepare Island, Solomon Islands – A Conservation Legend

Size: ~118 km²
Country: Solomon Islands

Tetepare is often called the “last unlogged island” in the Solomons. Once home to several villages, it was mysteriously abandoned in the mid-19th century. Today, it’s a conservation success story, managed by local descendants of its former residents. Tourists can visit eco-lodges along the coast, but no one lives there permanently.

5. Santa Luzia, Cape Verde – The Wind-Swept Atlantic Outpost

Size: ~34.2 km²
Country: Cape Verde

Though small compared to Fernandina, Santa Luzia is striking for its desert-like landscapes and rolling dunes. Once used for seasonal grazing, it now lies empty — part of a marine protected area, its beaches visited only by occasional researchers and fishermen.

6. Cocos Island, Costa Rica – The Famous but Smaller Contender

Size: ~23.85 km²
Country: Costa Rica

Cocos Island is often described — including in some online sources and Google’s own quick answers — as the “largest uninhabited tropical island.” While its size doesn’t come close to matching the tropical giants above, its reputation comes from its legendary biodiversity. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cocos is a diving paradise with hammerhead sharks, giant manta rays, and vibrant coral reefs. The island itself has no permanent residents, but a small ranger station supports its national park status.

Why Are These Islands Empty?

Several factors keep humans away from these giants:

• Strict Conservation Rules: Many are part of national parks or reserves.
• Challenging Geography: Volcanic activity, dense rainforest, or swampy terrain.
• Lack of Resources: Freshwater scarcity or poor soil.
• Wildlife Protection: Limiting human access to preserve ecosystems.

The Allure of the Untouched

Standing on the deck of a boat off Fernandina or Tetepare, you get a rare feeling — this is what the tropics looked like before people. No power lines. No roads. Just raw, untamed beauty. In a world where nearly every coastline hums with human life, these islands are reminders that wilderness still has its strongholds.

These tropical giants — from the volcanic majesty of Fernandina to the rainforests of Maracá — show us what’s possible when nature is left to thrive.‍