The Costa Rican government agreed to change the Isla San Lucas status, which has been a Wildlife Refuge, in 25 of its 500 hectares.The idea is to develop tourism in this area and transform it into an ideal destination for one day trips.
The Isla San Lucas Wildlife Refuge protects an island in the Gulf of Nicoya, just offshore from Puntarenas, on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.
Isla San Lucas was a penal colony until 1991. It had the reputation of being the roughest jail in Costa Rica and its 117 year history is rich with tales of violence.
A network of underground prison cells hosted society's undesirables who ran the community, fished, farmed and did domestic chores. Today the prison walls are crumbling in ruins and a lonely caretaker might let you go around on the island.
The island features 5 beaches with dry forest and the buildings that were used for 118 years, when it was a jail facility. Three months ago, it was discovered a XIX century cemetery.
The island possesses an impressive cultural value and potential to develop tourism, even though the place is known by few Costa Ricans.
The boat trip takes approximately 40 minutes from the Puntarenas dock, on the Pacific Coast. The island does not offer any tourism facility at this time, for this reason, the government will invest nearly USD $3 million in infrastructure including restaurants and a better dock in 5.5% of the island, also including the restoration of the actual buildings that are there. This project will be ready in aproximately 5 years from now. The Costa Rican Tourism Board intends to develop a low impact and sustainable tourism.
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