Prison becomes tourist spot

San Lucas was once home to one of the most notorious prisons in the country's history

Costa Rica: Despite the country’s coronavirus lockdown, Costa Rica’s island of San Lucas, a former penal colony with a dark history, has been newly converted into a tourist paradise, albeit with strict pandemic protocols in place.

Something of Costa Rica’s own version of Alcatraz, the island was once home to one of the most notorious prisons in the country’s history.

Since its August reopening, however, it has also become a picturesque destination for hiking, wild beaches and abundant fauna — thanks in no small part to several government agencies opening up walking trails and renovating infrastructure to the tune of $2.4 million.

Located in the Gulf of Nicoya off the country’s Pacific coast, the formerly abandoned San Lucas served as a penitentiary between 1873 and 1991, known for its torture and subhuman conditions.

In 1995, the island was declared to be of architectural interest and in 2001 named a wild sanctuary. “San Lucas is a spectacular destination. It has culture, history, architecture, beaches, biodiversity,” First Lady Claudia Dobles, who was behind the project, said in a video. “It’s the best kept treasure in the Pacific.”

“Here there’s a very green and rich biodiversity,” Giovany Mora, a park ranger with 14 years of experience on the island, said. “You see a lot of white-tailed deer, squirrels, iguanas, agoutis, tepezcuintles,” he added, listing a number of local rodents.

Boats to the island leave from the port city of Puntarenas but coronavirus restrictions limit the number of tourists. Visitors are only allowed on the weekend in three groups of a maximum of 40 people, and beaches are off-limits.

Even so, the island received 920 visitors during its first month, according to the Puntarenas tourism chamber.