Isla San Lucas

San Lucas is an island of around five square kilometres in the Gulf of Nicoya that held a prison from 1873 until 1991, and after decades of abandonment it was declared a national park in 2020. The buildings remain: cell blocks with drawings and inscriptions made by prisoners on the walls, the administration block, the chapel and the pier, standing in various states of collapse with forest growing into them. The rest of the island is dry forest and beaches with deer, monkeys and a large population of birds, and trails run from the buildings to the coves. Visits are by boat from Puntarenas with a guide, and the prison history is the substance of the tour.

What you actually see

• The cell blocks - the prison buildings and the drawings on the walls.
• The chapel and administration - the other surviving structures.
• Dry forest trails - the routes from the buildings to the beaches.
• The coves - the beaches around the island.

When to go

December to April for the calmest crossings and the driest trails; the wet season brings rough water and mud. Visits are guided and boats run to a schedule from Puntarenas.

Honest expectations

Buildings are unstable and access to parts is restricted. The subject is a prison with a difficult history and the tour addresses it directly. Facilities on the island are minimal. Crossings depend on sea conditions.

Nearby

Puntarenas lies east; Isla Tortuga is south in the gulf.