Ai Pelo Prison

Ai Pelo on the coast road west of Dili is the ruin of a Portuguese prison built in the nineteenth century to hold prisoners sent out from Portugal and from the colony, a set of roofless stone blocks and walls standing in scrub with the sea in front. Trees have grown through the cells. Beyond a museum panel from a restoration project begun in 2012, the site is simply left, which is much of its effect. Building began in 1889, the prison held both common criminals and political prisoners, and from 1914 two more blocks took in prisoners from overcrowded jails in Macau.

What's there

• The roofless blocks - the cell buildings standing open to the sky.
• The stone walls - the perimeter still traceable in the scrub.
• The overgrowth - trees grown through the structure.
• The coastal setting - the sea in front of the ruined prison.

When to go

May to November is the dry season. Vegetation grows over the site in the wet months. Mornings are cooler.

Things to know

The ruins are unstable and entering the buildings is unwise. Interpretation is limited to a museum panel. It is a short stop rather than a destination.

Nearby

Liquiçá is west, and Dili is east.

Key facts