Tragic penal colony on Isabela Island
Category

Culture

Est. Duration

2-3h

Age requirement

All ages

Message from João Petersen

The Wall of Tears, or Muro de Las Lágrimas on Isabela Island is a tragic reminder of the dark past of the island. In the mid-20th century, it was home to a bleak penal colony, where prisoners were forced to build a wall from irregular pieces of volcanic rock they lugged by hand from a faraway quarry site. The wall is said to have cost the lives of many prisoners due to the dangerous and ill-equipped conditions in which they had to work. Unfinished, the wall stands as a monument to the cruelty inflicted there and still blocks nothing from anything. Today, visitors can take a trip to Isabela and explore the Wall of Tears for themselves, learning more about the place's dark history while appreciating its natural beauty. I recommend renting a bike in town and bike your way here. *Watch out with the torns on the sides of the road so you don't get a flat tire.

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