Coiba Prison

Easter afternoon was spent exploring the Coiba prison. Coiba is the largest island in Central America (500 square kilometers) and lies about 25 kilometers off the Pacific coast of Panama. In 1919 the island was established as a penal colony and was a feared prison during the rule of the dictators Omar Torrijos and Manuel Noriega (who, by the way, is imprisoned about 5 minutes away from the Gamboa Schoolhouse in El Renacer Prison). The prison was officially closed in 2004, though they still sometimes keep drug traffickers--and others caught in the area--there for a few days before sending them to the mainland. No one was currently imprisoned when we visited, though they have a permanent contingent of guards stationed there. Coiba National Park is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One of the still operational cells.

The view, at least, is nice!

One of the old cells.

A row of barred cells in one of the old buildings.

A view from farther up the hill including the old, roofless prison building. 

Apparently there were as many as 1,200 prisoners on the island at once and they farmed regions of the island. Although there were guards, security, for the most part, was left to the sharks. When people died or went missing, they would place a stone cross on this field on top of the hill overlooking the prison.

And for whimsy's sake...I loved this pile of sprouting coconuts!