Caio Rodrigues Rego, 62, even left his wife and children behind when he moved to Ilha dos Gatos, a tiny island three miles off the coast of southeast Brazil.

He now lives a life of blissful isolation on the rocky outcrop of just 75,000 square metres, often going for weeks without speaking with another human.

Once having to face a daily battle through hurried commuters in one of the world's biggest cities, today Caio catches fish with his bare hands for breakfast, spends most of his day lazing by the sea in a beachside hammock, and never has any idea what day it is.

There aren't even any other animals living on the inhospitable isle - and his only source of company, a dog named Marujo, had to return to the mainland three years ago 'because he was getting too lonely'.

Caio admits he has no clothes other than a pair of black swimming trunks - but insists he wouldn't have it any other way.

And although he has never received a penny for being the unofficial 'caretaker' of the idyllic beauty spot, he claims he still has the 'best job in the world'.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, the real-life Robinson Crusoe said: 'I get anxious just thinking of leaving this place, even for just a day.

'Most people spend their lives searching for happiness and never truly find it.

'But I know I've found mine, because for the last 32 years I've never wished for a single thing except this. Times passes by and I don't even notice.

'I used to be like everyone else, beating myself up to make a living and be able to buy things. But when you're in a place like this, money has no value at all.'

With a reputation among locals as a snarly hermit, long-haired Caio has been known to scare visitors off his island brandishing a spear.

And after the half-an-hour boat journey from fishing town Sao Sebastiao, on the coast of Brazil's state of Sao Paulo, the recluse was at first hostile to the unannounced visit from MailOnline.

'I just don't like people disturbing my peace and tranquility,' he later explained. 'I don't need company, I'm quite happy as I am. One more person on this island starts to make it feel crowded.' 

(dailymail.co.uk)