Juan Fernandez High Sea

The ocean west of Chile around Juan Fernández offered mariners a refuge far from the mainland's Spanish ports. Juan Fernández's voyage of 1574 brought the islands into European navigation, and their fresh water, timber and goats later made them attractive to ships crossing the eastern Pacific. The surrounding high seas linked these anchorages with raids and trading voyages along the coasts of Chile and Peru.

English privateers repeatedly entered this maritime world. Alexander Selkirk remained on Más a Tierra from 1704 until his rescue in 1709, surviving through hunting, fishing and a small garden before rejoining a privateering expedition. George Anson's voyage of 1740–1744 likewise used the archipelago during operations against Spanish commerce. Such visits encouraged Spanish officials to secure an anchorage that rivals could otherwise use for repairs and supplies. A permanent settlement was established in 1750, followed by fortification and a penal role. By the early nineteenth century, voyages through these waters could carry soldiers, prisoners and provisions as well as visiting sailors. The islands' remoteness made control costly, but the same distance increased their value as an offshore stopping place.