In the early to mid last century, prison islands were all the rage. One of the most famous was Alcatraz, in San Francisco (United States) of which many books and movies were written, such as the famous Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood. There were many in the Atlantic, but all of them were inhabited. In Colombia, the uninhabited Gorgona Island, in the Pacific, was the perfect place to create a prison where more than 4,000 prisoners served their sentences.
Around the decade of the 80’s, 70% of the Gorgona island was deforested, as 10 tons of firewood were used weekly to cook for more than a thousand people. Fortunately, the ecological wave that rising everywhere, saved this unique and magical place from being completely wiped out.
Today it is known as the Gorgona National Natural Park, a spectacular place to visit, which, according to biologist Mateo Lopez, it serves as a barrier against climate change. It rains so much that the water production is immense, forming 75 streams in winter. Besides this, in Gorgona there are unique species such as the spectacular blue anole (Anolis gorgonae). This is a small Galapagos, but in Colombia!
Discovering Gorgona National Natural Park
Gorgona National Natural Park, made up of three islets, is on the Pacific Ocean in the western part Colombia, between the island of Malpelo and the port of Buenaventura. This small paradise has an extension of about 26 km² of land and 616.88 km² of marine area.
Gorgona has one of the most beautiful and complex ecosystems on the planet. It is possible to appreciate a tropical rainforest, beautiful coral formations and Indo-Pacific coral reefs. During the months of June and October it is possible to appreciate the migration of humpback whales, which come to this point to give birth to their calves, named ballenatos in Spanish.
A little bit of Gorgona’s History
The Sindagua native (precolonial aborigins) inhabited Gorgona around 1500 a.c. By 1526 the island was discovered by the Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro who gave the island its modern name “Gorgona” thanks to the large number of snakes on the island, recalling the Greek mythology, where the gorgons instead of wearing hair carried snakes.
In 1959 the president of Colombia Alberto Lleras Camargo ordered the construction of a maximum-security prison, which opened in 1960. The main house of the Payan family, who lived on the island, was modified to be the prison administration.
In 1984 President Belisario Betancur closed the prison and authorized the house to be turned into a museum. The island was then declared a protected area designated for scientific research. Entry since then was restricted, but nowadays is open for ecotourism.
More Pacific Coast Wildlife
Marine Wildlife at Gorgona
Humpback whales visit Gorgona’s waters from June through November, with mothers and calves frequently observed from the island’s shores and from guided boat excursions. The surrounding waters serve as a critical nursery — the warm, protected environment is ideal for newborn calves to build strength before the long migration south to Antarctic feeding grounds.
Gorgona’s coral reefs are among the best-preserved in the eastern Pacific, supporting large schools of reef fish, moray eels, sea turtles, and visiting pelagic species including whale sharks and manta rays. Diving and snorkeling reveal an underwater world of remarkable color and diversity, with visibility often exceeding 15 meters during the dry season months.
Terrestrial Ecology
The island’s 26 square kilometers of tropical rainforest have recovered remarkably since the prison closure in 1984. Today, 13 snake species inhabit the island, including the fer-de-lance — the reason Gorgona was chosen as a prison site, as escape through the surrounding jungle was considered impossible. The Blue Anole lizard, found only on Gorgona, represents a unique evolutionary lineage that developed during the island’s isolation from the mainland.
Birdlife on the island includes both resident forest species and migratory seabirds. Brown Pelicans, Magnificent Frigatebirds, and several booby species nest on the island and its surrounding islets, while the forest interior harbors parrots, woodpeckers, and numerous passerine species.
Visiting Gorgona
Access to Gorgona requires a boat journey of approximately 90 minutes from Guapi or arrangements through authorized operators from Buenaventura. As a national park, visitor numbers are controlled and accommodation is limited to the park’s basic facilities on the former prison grounds. Advance booking is essential, particularly during whale season (August-September peak).
The island offers marked hiking trails through the rainforest, guided snorkeling and diving excursions, and whale watching boat trips during season. Night walks reveal nocturnal wildlife including tree frogs, geckos, and the island’s famous snakes — always conducted with experienced park guides.
Conservation Significance
Gorgona’s transformation from prison to protected area represents one of Colombia’s most successful conservation stories. The island’s isolation has preserved ecosystems largely free from mainland pressures like deforestation and invasive species, making it an invaluable natural laboratory for marine and terrestrial ecology research.
Sara Colmenares holds a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Ecology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a Master’s degree in Botany from the same institution. Her doctoral research focused on palm ecology in the Atlantic Forest, supported by the Rufford Foundation conservation grant.
A published researcher in the Brazilian Journal of Plant Physiology and a member of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), Sara has presented her work at international conferences across Latin America and beyond. She was awarded the COLCIENCIAS “Virginia Gutiérrez de Pineda” fellowship, one of Colombia’s most competitive academic distinctions for young researchers.
Sara founded the Sula nature tourism brand in 2018, applying her scientific expertise to develop birding and wildlife experiences across Colombia’s six natural regions. Her fieldwork took her from the cloud forests of the Andes to the Amazon basin, the Pacific coast, and the plains of the Orinoquía. She combined deep ecological knowledge with firsthand experience to create content that is both scientifically accurate and practically useful for nature travelers.
She holds a B.Sc. in Biology from the National University of Colombia, where she also taught plant ecophysiology. She speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and English.