The Hidden Jewel of Timor-Leste

 JACO ISLAND

Jaco Island (Portuguese: Ilha de Jaco, Tetum: Illa Jako, Fataluku: Totina or Tontina) is an uninhabited island at the eastern tip of Timor in Timor-Leste, part of the Lesser Sunda Islands in Southeast Asia. Located just off Cape Cutcha in Tutuala, Lautém District, it is separated from the mainland by the narrow 600-meter-wide Jaco Strait, navigable by small boats. Formed mainly of limestone from coral, the island is surrounded by cliffs and reefs and covered with dense tropical dry forest. As part of the Nino Konis Santana National Park, Jaco Island is both ecologically important and culturally significant.

1.1. Jaco's Coastline.

Covering about 8 km² and rising to 100 meters above sea level, Jaco Island is recognized by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area. It shelters species such as bar-necked cuckoo-doves, pink-headed imperial pigeons, streak-breasted honeyeaters, flame-breasted sunbirds, and Timor sparrows. Rare species like the great cuckoo dove (Macropygia magna) also live here. Javan rusa deer (Rusa timorensis) roam freely, drinking salt water due to the lack of fresh water. The island’s southeast beaches are vital nesting grounds for sea turtles, while surrounding waters host whales, dolphins, and diverse fish species. 

1.2. The undersea world of jaco

For the local people, Jaco Island is sacred. The beach and channel are believed to be where the Timor Sea (Tasi Mane, “men’s sea”) meets the Banda Sea (Tasi Feto, “women’s sea”). Traditionally, entry, fishing, and swimming were forbidden under tara bandu (customary law). Today, fishermen bring tourists from Valu Beach for snorkeling and diving, though overnight stays remain prohibited. Each February and March, locals harvest mechi, large feasts of Meci worms (Eunice viridis), along the north coast.

Jaco Island also preserves historical heritage with ancient fortifications at Lai Vai, Pitilete, and Honolati. These tranqueira structures reflect the island’s past. Once home to a lighthouse from the Indonesian occupation, dismantled in 2010, Jaco now stands as a symbol of natural beauty, cultural tradition, and ecological richness truly one of Timor-Leste’s wonders.

1.3. Jaco Island.