Coiba Island — the haunted prison island of Panama's Pacific coast

Coiba, the largest island in Central America, lies off Panama's Pacific coast and was the site of a notorious penal colony from 1919 to 2004. The prison held political prisoners and common criminals in conditions of extreme brutality, and hundreds of inmates died from abuse, disease, and the island's harsh tropical environment. Mass graves have been discovered on the island, and former prisoners described torture, forced labor, and disappearances. Since the prison's closure and the island's designation as a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site for its marine biodiversity, visitors have reported supernatural phenomena in and around the abandoned prison buildings. Fishermen and park rangers describe hearing screams from the ruined cell blocks at night, seeing figures in prison clothing standing at the barred windows, and experiencing an overwhelming sense of dread when approaching the old punishment cells. The jungle has rapidly reclaimed the prison structures, and the combination of tropical overgrowth, crumbling concrete, and the sounds of the rainforest create an atmosphere of decay and dread. Coiba's isolation — accessible only by boat — means that visitors who stay overnight are truly alone with whatever inhabits the island.