Santanillas is a secondary location featured in Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, and an island that can be explored in order to retrieve all buried chests and all treasure maps in the video game.
In Santanillas, you will also have to solve two Mayan Stelae Puzzles, and you will visit the island while playing other secondary missions.
No matter when you decide to travel to Santanillas, the following collectibles should be retrieved, in order to get an upgrade plan for the Jackdaw and a 100% synchronization rate at the end of the game.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Santanillas Collectibles Guide
Total number of collectibles: 10
Animus Fragments: 3
Secrets: 2
Chests: 5
Other activities: Mayan Stelae (2)
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Santanillas Animus Fragments Locations
Animus Fragment 1
The first AC4 Animus Fragment in Santanillas can be found in the central area of the island, above a haystack.
Near the haystack is a tree which you have to climb. Jump on the stone pillars nearby, and then jump in the tree to reach the highest spot. Perform a Leap of Faith to collect the fragment.
Animus Fragment 2
The second Animus Fragment is also located above the ground close to another tree, that can be accessed by jumping on the downed palm tree and use it to get to the highest spot, close to the collectible.
Another Leap of Faith must be performed for the second fragment.
Animus Fragment 3
For the third fragment you will have to climb the mast in the northern section of the island. While standing on top of the mast, jump into the ocean.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Santanillas Secrets Locations
Secret 1: Letter
The first secret in Santanillas is a letter located on the western side of the island, inside a bottle.
The letter (The Templar Arrives) is in the sand, close to the water, between a barrel and a rock.
Secret 2: Cadaver
An important item that must be retrieved from Santanillas is the treasure map close to one of the chests, on the northern beach.
The Santanillas Treasure Map contains the information needed to retrieve another buried chest. Inside the chest you will find the Elite Fire Barrel Upgrade Plan. Once you collect the treasure map, you will see two new coordinates: 479,487. The coordinates on the treasure map coincide with those of San Juan; therefore, using the diving bell, you will need to enter the smugglers’ den in San Juan.
The moment you exit the water, take out the two smugglers on the ground, then search the area near the wall that allows you to go deeper into the den.
On the said wall you should see a ladder partially destroyed that can also be observed on the treasure map you have found. Dig and retrieve the buried chest containing the plan and 3000 Reales.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Santanillas Chests Locations
The chests on Santanillas are easy to find being located close to each other. Two of them (low left corner of the map) are on top of the Mayan Temple inside a room.
Two additional chests are located in another temple (low right corner of the map) but you need to find the tunnel that allows you to go under the construction. There are several entrances to the tunnel, one of them being on the ground and another one on the first level.
The final chest is located near the treasure map, on the beach.
