The island has an eight-kilometre (5.0-mile) coastline, five beaches, a mangrove swamp, and is covered in 153.18 acres (61.99 ha) of dense jungle.

[3] Isla Gibraleón rises to a height of 11 metres (36 ft) above sea level,[5][6] and is in the Eastern Time Zone (UTC−05:00).

The dry season, characterised by clear skies and predominantly northeastern Caribbean trade winds, is from January to April (when the ITCZ is south of Panama).

[7] The island's location in the Pearl Islands archipelago protects it from the effects of El Niño and allows the surrounding waters—usually between 28 and 29 °C (82 and 84 °F) during the wet season[7]—to sustain the uninterrupted evolution of new marine species, including whale and tiger sharks, sperm whales, sea turtles, angel rays and large schools of fish.

[9] In the first series (which began on 5 May 2014), thirteen British men were taken to the island by Bear Grylls for a month; they were left alone, with the clothes they wore and some basic tools, to film themselves.