A popular Summer tourist spot for the citizens of Topophilia is the Hermit City of Skull Island. The "city" is about twenty blocks wide by ten blocks deep and is situated on the Southern coast of the island. Few of the buildings are taller than two stories, and every multi-hermit dwelling has many elaborate entrances leading directly to only one of the homes; there are no common areas or hallways in these buildings. In place of streets are dense forests with a maze of solitary footpaths. All comercial activity in the city is conducted in automats; large rooms of vending machines. The woods surrounding the Hermit City are full of cabins, shanties and lean-tos. The shore of the Hermit City is a pleasant beach that only the tourists like to visit.

A majority of the hermits that populate the city are expert craftsmen, and sell their wares in the various automats. These objects range from kazoos to carved garden gnomes to guns made entirely from plastic, and are guaranteed conversation starters back in Topophilia. Since these items are only available from the Hermit City, they are another reason that this region appeals to tourists.

Another exciting attraction for the curious is trying to spot the hermits. As the hermits never go to the beach and do not run any public shops, they are quite hard to find. Many enterprising visitors have hidden in bushes near the footpaths, tourist camera ready, only to find that they still cannot locate any hermits. The hermits know their city and know how not to be spotted. On the rare occasion that a hermit is seen, they are usually hidden under a sack or inside a box.

Hermits are drawn to the city for various reasons, and there is an equal number of reasons they are hermits in the first place. Some of the hermits did not start as hermits, but as tour guides or importers; the lifestyle that surrounded these people eventually swallowed them up. Some hermits are very religious and have devoted themselves to their spirituality. Some hermits are afraid of what others might do to them, or what they might do to others. At least two of the hermits are trying to study the other hermits. One hermit is digging a network of tunnels under the city. Another hermit is building a scale model of Topophilia from his memory. Since they are so elusive, there is no accurate estimate as to the population of the Hermit City. At least a hundred hermits are lying dead in their homes, but nobody knows which ones those are.

A few residents of the Hermit City have returned to Topophilia, and each one has become instantaneously famous. All of these hermits, save for one, have committed suicide, having been unable to stand the attention lavished on them. The one who did not kill himself became Topophilia's most regarded expert on the Hermit City and Skull Island, and now runs a carpet store in Topophilia. The call him "Carpet Carl".

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