Costa Rica Tourist Institute to run San Lucas Prison as a tourist attraction

The prison island San Lucas has a dark history as the most brutal prison in Costa Rica. The prison ran between 1873 and 1991 and housed the most notorious and dangerous criminals in Costa Rica, but is now being converted into a tourist destination. Located close to Puntarenas, the area is already a major tourist destination.

Until 1950, inmates who disobeyed orders were punished were sent to “the hole” and “grilled”. It was common to hear them scream and call for help, Montero clarified during a tour of the site.

The island San Lucas, of 472 acres, is located three kilometers from the coast of Puntarenas, Central Pacific of Costa Rica, and is visited by tourists interested in learning about the history of the prison and the torture and inhumane conditions the inmates faced.

The site is not yet ready to receive visitors, but the work is underway to restore historic buildings that are severely damaged by years of neglect.

The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) stated that the government hopes to restore the place no later than year and a half, with an investment of $2 million USD.

The future plans calls for reconstruction of the pier and an environmental education center for tourists, sanitation and water treatment plant.

San Lucas is expected to receive a maximum of 800 visitors per day, and thus promote the island as a place of great historical and natural beauty.

The jail began operating under the orders of dictator Tomás Guardia (1831-1882). At first, only political prisoners were sent there, later the country’s most violent criminals.

In each of the seven units held up to 70 people sleeping on the floor and they were given only one hour of sunlight a day.


“The Hole” said the guide, is a hole two meters deep in the common courtyard, which you enter through a small space barely fit one person, but under an enclosure houses nine feet in diameter, where the temperature reached 60 degrees Celsius.

The story of what happened in that prison is found in the novel “The Island of Lonely Men,” published in 1972 by the Costa Rican Jose Leon Sanchez, who was imprisoned there between 1950 and 1988.
One of the main attractions of the prison is the hundreds of letters that can be seen on the walls of the cells.
The Wildlife Refuge Isla San Lucas surrounds the prison and there are walking trail through the tropical forest.

The island has indigenous archaeological sites, an enormous biodiversity and lush beaches where there’s interest to build resorts.

That initiative was originally rejected by the Government in 2003 to preserve the Wildlife Refuge but now this dark past of the prison recognized and will hopefully become a symbol for the protection of human rights.


Read the full story on The Costa Rica News (TCRN)


Read more about the prison at www.sanlucasprison.com

Tourism Facts and Figures

Tourism in Costa Rica is one of the fastest growing economic sectors of the country and as of 1995 became the largest foreign exchange earner.

Since 1999, tourism earns more foreign exchange than bananas, pineapples and coffee combined.

The tourism boom began in 1987,with the number of visitors up from 329,000 in 1988, through 1.03 million in 1999, to 2.09 million foreign visitors in 2008, allowing the country to earn $2.14 billion in that year.

In 2008, tourism contributed with 7.2% of the country's GDP, 22.7% of foreign exchange generated by all exports, and in 2005 it was responsible for 13.3% of direct and indirect employment.

Since the late 1980s Costa Rica became a popular nature travel destination, with a well established system of Natural Parks and Reserves covering around 25% of the country's land area, the largest in the world as a percentage of the country's territory!

Costa Rica is home to 5% of the world's biodiversity despite covering only 0.03% of the world's landmass

With a US$2-billion-a-year tourism industry, Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region, with 1.974 million foreign visitors in 2007.

As a result of the current global economic crises visitors began falling since August 2008, as the number of U.S. citizens visiting the country shrank, and this market segment represents 54% of all foreign tourists visiting Costa Rica. Between December 2008 and May 2009, which includes the high season, tourists arrivals felt by 12 percent.

In terms of 2009 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), Costa Rica ranked 42nd in the world ranking, remaining as the most competitive among Latin American Countries n countries since 2008, and ranking second if the Caribbean is included.

In 2008 most vistors came from the United States (38.6%), neighboring Nicaragua (21.8%), and Canada (5.2%). Tourist revenues from North America and European countries, which together made up 60% of all visitors, contributed to achieve a relatively high expenditure per tourist of $1000 per visitor, both in 2007 and 2008.

San Jose - Costa Rica's Capital

Costa Rica, translates literally as "Rich Coast" and the heart of this Rich Coast is where? Well, it’s San José.

San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.

This is a modern city with bustling commerce, brisk expressions of art and architecture, and as a result of the country's US$1.9 billion tourism industry it is a significant destination and stopover for foreign visitors.

On first sight, San José seems little more than a chaotic jumble of cars, buses, buildings, and people. The central downtown section of San José exists in a near-constant state of gridlock. Antiquated buses spewing diesel fumes , sidewalks are poorly maintained and claustrophobic, and street crime can be a problem in some areas. Many visitors quickly seek the sanctuary of their hotel room and the first chance to escape the city.

But San José is the country's only major metropolitan city, with varied and active restaurant and nightlife scenes, several museums and galleries worth visiting, and a steady stream of theater, concerts, and other cultural events that you won't find elsewhere in the country. Most people do still fly in and out of the country's capital. Sprawling smack in the middle of the fertile Valle Central, San José has a spectacular setting, ringed by the jagged silhouettes of soaring mountains – some of them volcanoes – on all sides. The city lies at a mean elevation of 1,161 m above sea level, and enjoys a stable climate throughout the year, with an average temperature of 23C. The scenery here is quite beautiful.

So what is there to do?

You can see Museo Oro Precolombino (The Gold Museum), under Plaza de la Cultura. The collection here consists of 1600 pieces of Pre-Columbian gold work dating from 500 AD to 1500 AD. Information is given on the processing and making of the pieces as well as their social, cultural and religious meanings.

Other famous museums are Museo del Jade (The jade museum), Museo de los Niños (The children's museum) and Museo Nacional which includes a large butterfly garden and a collection of large stone spheres from the Diquis Valley near the Pacific Ocean.

There are a range of international restaurants from Indian, to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern to local Costa Rican (yes Ticos eat more than rice and beans!)

And when you leave Costa Rica, of course you'll need a souvenier. San José was built on the profits of the coffee-export business. The best Costa Rican coffees have deserved reputations for superb quality. Super markets/grocers and small coffee growers usually have better prices than shops that cater to tourists. There's lots of choice.

Throughout the city, there are also lots of shops with wooden and ceramic souvenirs. The wooden pieces, such as masks, plaques, and other forms of wall art, are all beautifully hand carved and hand painted and the artisan usually signs their work with their name and where it was made. The ceramic pottery and dishware is done in this similar fashion and are available in a variety of designs and colors. These make interesting and unique gifts to bring home to family and friends for a reasonable price.

So when visiting Costa Rica, don't forget to visit and stay in San Jose