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. There is no interpretation and the site is simply left, which is much of its effect. Portugal used Timor as a place of exile for political prisoners as well as criminals, which is part of why the prison was built so far from Dili.

What you actually see

• 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.

Honest expectations

The ruins are unstable and entering the buildings is unwise. There is no interpretation of any kind. It is a short stop rather than a destination.

Nearby

Liquiçá is west, and Dili is east.