No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaAt San Lucas Island, Costa Rica creates its 30th national park

At San Lucas Island, Costa Rica creates its 30th national park

Costa Rica on Monday celebrated the 50th anniversary of its national parks system by creating another national park.

During a ceremony at Casa Presidencial, President Carlos Alvarado signed decree No. 9892, converting San Lucas Island from a protected wildlife area into Costa Rica’s 30th national park.

The island, located in the Gulf of Nicoya, reopened Saturday to visitors as part of the “San Lucas Island Reactivation Route” led by First Lady Claudia Dobles.

“We are certain that San Lucas will be able to continue with the preservation of its cultural and historical heritage, as well as the conservation of its natural heritage,” she said.

As part of the recent renovations, San Lucas Island has new trails and better sanitary services to attend to guests.

Island was once ‘hell on earth’

San Lucas Island was the location of a prison “so infamous it made Alcatraz look like Club Med,” as The Tico Times wrote in a 2016 story. As we explained then:

A 40-minute boat ride from Puntarenas, San Lucas was chosen to be a prison island by the dictator Tomás Guardia in 1873. For over 100 years, the worst of the worst of the country’s criminals (and apparently some innocents too), were banished to this Costa Rican Devil’s Island to endure brutal tortures and inhuman conditions. It finally closed in 1991.

And then this hell on earth, like a well-behaved prisoner, became successfully rehabilitated as a wildlife refuge. For tourists today, it’s a chance to explore both the natural riches of a Costa Rican island and a dark but fascinating history.

You’ll take a stroll down the appropriately named “Street of Bitterness” (Calle de la Amargura) when you first arrive on the island. You’ll see the medium- and maximum-security cells, whose walls are home to countless drawings depicting the pain, hatred and despair of its former tenants.

You can even see the old torture chambers — deep holes or tiny cells where misbehaving prisoners were forced to spend days immersed in rainwater, sewage and lime.

In addition to learning about the island’s not-so-pleasant history as a prison, visitors to San Lucas can spot plenty of wildlife. A 2006 visit from Universidad Nacional (UNA) researchers found dozens of native species, including monkeys, snakes and anteaters.

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Social Crisis Deepens Amid Political Clashes

Costa Rica is sliding into a state of structural violence fueled by political clashes, social division, and weakening institutions, according to a new National...

UN Ocean Summit Ends with Progress but No Clear Funding

The UN Ocean Summit concluded in Nice with advances in protecting the high seas—but without any clear financial commitments. After bringing together around 60...

From Bookie to “Pura Vida”: A True Costa Rica Expat Story

I recently wrote about my fear that three decades after learning Spanish, I was now slowly losing my fluency, forgetting words I had once...

Costa Rica’s US-Donated Drug Scanners Sit Unused for Seven Months

Costa Rica’s fight against drug trafficking hit a snag, and it’s raising eyebrows. Seven months ago, the United States donated two high-tech scanners to...

Costa Rica Faces Growing Arms Trafficking Crisis

On Thursday, the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) made headlines by seizing 56 weapons in La Guácima de Alajuela, marking the largest arms seizure in...

Rising Seas Threaten Costa Rica’s Beaches and Communities by 2030

Costa Rica’s iconic coastlines, from Limón’s Caribbean shores to Guanacaste’s Pacific beaches, face growing threats from rising sea levels driven by climate change. The...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica