| San Lucas Island National Park | |
|---|---|
| Parque Nacional Isla San Lucas | |
 San Lucas as seen from the Gulf of Nicoya | |
 San Lucas Island National Park area. | |
| Location | Costa Rica |
| Coordinates | 9°56′20″N84°54′22″W / 9.939°N 84.906°W /9.939; -84.906 |
| Area | 4.49 square kilometres (1.73 sq mi) (terrestrial), 9.95 square kilometres (3.84 sq mi) (marine) |
| Established | 24 August 2020 |
| Governing body | National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) |
  Location in Costa Rica | |
San Lucas Island National Park (Spanish:Parque Nacional Isla San Lucas) is an island located off the Pacific shore ofCosta Rica in theGulf of Nicoya. It is part of thePuntarenas district[1] in thecanton andprovince of the same name.
Formerly housing a brutalprison, now abandoned, the island was designated as aNational Park in August 2020[2] by decree 9892[3] and managed under theCentral Pacific Conservation Area.[4][5][6]
Named forLuke the Evangelist.
San Lucas Island located in the Gulf of Nicoya off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, about 40 minutes by boat fromPuntarenas. The island has an area of approximately 4.6 km2 (1.8 sq mi)
Indigenous groups lived on San Lucas and the surrounding islands. There are eight known archeological sites on the island, including apparent houses where stonetools and a metal object were found in the late 1970s. The excavation sites date to between 1,000 and 1,500 AD.[7]
From 1873 to 1991, San Lucas Island was a penal island for some of the worst criminals in Costa Rica. It is often erroneously cited as the largest prison in Costa Rican history. It was founded by the dictatorTomás Miguel Guardia Gutiérrez.[8] Being sent to San Lucas Island was a terrible prospect as prisoners' lives were short and often spent intorture. Ironically, Guardia abolished thedeath penalty a year after establishing the prison.
The former buildings of the penal island are considered "Patrimonio de Cultura," or cultural heritage sites.[8] The buildings include a historic dock that is still in use after the first dock was destroyed, a church, a medical building, temporary holding cells, a three-story main office, a large concrete disc used to hold a water tank, and water pumps. In addition, there are prison cells of varying security levels depending on the prisoners' crimes. The prison cells contain the typicalgraffiti of older Latin American prisons, such as religious phrases, pornographic images, signatures and drawings. There are also several water pumps and acemetery under excavation on the island.[7]
José León Sánchez, a prisoner of the island, wroteLa Isla de Hombres Solos, translated into English as "The Island of Lonely Men", based on his time in the prison at San Lucas Island. León claimed that he was unjustly imprisoned for a murder that he did not commit. Other prisoners includedBeltrán Cortés Carvajal, the famous killer of the doctorsCarlos Manuel Echandi Lahmann andRicardo Moreno Cañas.
It was first designated as a Wildlife Refuge as created in 2002 by decree 29277-MINAE.
On August 10, 2020, it was designated as the 30thNational Park of Costa Rica by record 21287[2] of theLegislative Assembly and also as a Historical-Architectural Heritage (Spanish:Patrimonio Histórico-Arquitectónico) by record 21789.[9]
The island includes a wide variety of wildlife, such ashowler monkeys,spiders,snakes,deer, andpheasants. There are also at least 8 species ofbats on the island. The waters surrounding the island are home tohammerhead sharks,rays, andturtles.[10]
TheInstituto Costarricense de Turismo began planning to invest money into tourism on the island by developing commercial spaces for restaurants, beaches, and tour operators.[11] The volunteer organizationRaleigh International occasionally sends young volunteers to help rangers clear beaches to make the island more attractive for tourism.
Now it is a full-fledged tourist destination, with several companies offering charters to the island.[8] There is great concern that the tourist activities are destroyingpre-Columbian sites and the prison's archeological significance, as well as the wildlife habitats of the area.[citation needed]
There are plans to develop more sustainable tourist activities on the island.[12]
The island benefits from volunteers of the charityRaleigh International, who work with the rangers on the island to improve the surrounding area.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
