Isla San Lucas
Costa Rica's "Alcatraz," a brutal island penal colony from 1873 to 1991 that is now a national park with its prison ruins intact.
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Share a photoHistory & haunting lore
Founded by dictator Tomás Guardia, the penal colony held the country's most hardened prisoners under harsh, often fatal conditions for over a century, even as Guardia abolished capital punishment the year after establishing it. The island became a wildlife refuge after the prison closed in 1991 and was formally designated a national park in 2020.
Visitors touring the surviving cellblocks, chapel, and dungeons can still see decades-old graffiti left by inmates, and guides share stories passed down from former guards about restless spirits lingering among the ruins, alongside the island's rich birdlife and resident monkeys.
Current site status
Open to the public as a national park reachable by boat from Puntarenas; visitor numbers are limited and guided tours are recommended.