Gorgona Island
Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona (1984), A Former High Security Prison Island Until 1984 And One Of The Most Biodiverse Islands Of The Pacific. Humpback Whales Jul Oct, Rain Forest, A Reef And Strictly Limited Visitor Numbers. · Guapi, Cauca
Gorgona is a rain-forest island about 35 kilometres off the Pacific coast of Cauca, and for decades it was Colombia's Alcatraz: a maximum-security prison that closed in 1984 because the cost and the cruelty were no longer defensible. The forest took the buildings back, and the island became a national natural park managed by Parques Nacionales. Today it is one of the hardest places in the country to reach on purpose. You cannot simply turn up: visits run only through authorised operators on pre-booked packages of a few days, with strictly limited numbers. In return you get humpback whales between July and October, a small reef for snorkelling, monkeys, turtles, the endemic blue lizard, trails through wet forest and the ruins of the prison itself. It rains nearly all year, it is hot, there are no shops and no doctor, and weather can cancel a crossing. Treat it as an expedition, not a beach holiday: book early, pack for wet weather and follow the rangers, who set the pace and the rules for everyone on the island.
Pacific island national park about 35 km off the Cauca coast, reached by boat from Guapi or Buenaventura on pre-booked park trips only, Guapi, Cauca, Colombia
There are no walk-in hours. The island is open to visitors only on pre-booked packages run by authorised operators, usually a few days and nights, with boats leaving from Guapi, Buenaventura or through a Cali-based agency. Park rangers set the daily programme, and trails, the prison ruins and the snorkel area are visited with guides at set times. Rough seas or storms can delay or cancel a crossing, so keep a spare day in your plans. Confirm everything.