From Prison Islands to Island Paradises: Are Violent Histories Being Overwritten with Nature-Based Tourism Imaginaries?

Islands have often been used to exile political prisoners, migrants, criminals, mentally ill individuals, and others deemed unworthy. Yet the remoteness that made islands ideal prison sites is today exploited to develop nature-based ecotourism (NBET). Given the ‘prison to paradise’ phenomenon is previously undocumented in the literature, this paper explores three descriptive cases in the Global South: Ecuador (Galápagos Islands), Panamá (Coiba Island), and Colombia (Gorgona Island). This analysis identifies how the timelines of prison activities and the manifestations of tourism are influenced by contextual factors that determine whether carceral heritage is being preserved or overwritten in each context. The paper also highlights further opportunities to elaborate on this nascent theory and emphasise specific roles for archaeologists in that future research agenda. This work will appeal to scholars interested in dark heritage, prison tourism, island studies, and protected area managers involved with heritage preservation around former prison sites.