How the former Colombian Alcatraz turned into a national park (18 photos)

Even the most terrible prisons do not always remain so. For example, Colombian Alcatraz has been considered a national reserve for more than thirty years.





Once upon a time, especially dangerous criminals were brought here, but now tourists come here to observe the unique landscapes, as well as to see how nature is gradually reclaiming its territories.

Gorgona Island is located about thirty kilometers from the coast of Colombia; for a long time it was called the Colombian Alcatraz. Like Alcatraz, it was impossible to escape from here, or so it was thought. However, one escape was made from Alcatraz. One criminal managed to escape from Gorgon: he set sail from the shore on a homemade raft in 1984. After this, the prison on the island was closed. However, they did not remove all the buildings on it - they still stand there. Today this island is a bit of a strange place: the prison buildings can still be clearly seen through the jungle that is close to them.

In ancient times, people lived on the island: around the 13th century BC, petroglyphs from them have been preserved



During the era of European wanderings in the New World, sailors often moored at the island





Tour of the prison building

True, the island’s reputation was not very good: it was simply infested with snakes and other reptiles



That is why the island is named after the Gorgon Medusa, who had snakes instead of hair.



Former prison hospital

In the late 1950s, they decided to build a prison for especially dangerous criminals.



Capuchin Islands

The prison was created on the principle of German concentration camps, with the same conditions for serving the sentence.



Former cameras

Poisonous snakes were an excellent defense against escape: usually the fugitives did not reach the beach and died in the jungle



View of the prison from above

But one escape, as we have already said, was still successful, after which it was decided to close the prison



Pelicans sit on rocks

Soon this island was declared a national park to support the conservation of many species of animals.



For example, endemics: the gorgon anole, the only completely blue lizard of its kind, is found here



True, it is on the verge of extinction due to the fact that people brought the crested basilisk to the island



And here is the basilisk itself, which feeds on blue lizards



There are also many rare snakes that feel like rightful masters here.



There are so many of them here that tourists are prohibited from going into the jungle without high boots.



In addition, the island is adjacent to a huge marine area with coral reefs.



The marbled poison frog is another inhabitant of the Gorgon, and there are babies on its back



Island beach and forest from above