With the aim of generating a tourist destination that enhances the cultural, historical and natural advantages that San Lucas Island has, the Government of the Republic presented the Route of Reactivation of this site, in an activity that took place this Friday in the Promoter Board of Tourism of Puntarenas.

In parallel to destinations such as Alcatraz, in the Bay of San Francisco, United States, and Coiba, in the Gulf of Chiriquí, Panama, it is intended to position the Island as a sustainable tourist attraction of Puntarenas.

Representatives of the community participated in the presentation in the company of the First Lady, Claudia Dobles, the Minister of Tourism, María Amalia Revelo, the Minister of the Presidency, Rodolfo Piza, the Minister of Coordination with the Private Sector, André Garnier, the President Executive of the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity, Irene Cañas, the Vice Minister of Environment, Pamela Castillo, and the President of the Costa Rican Institute of Ports of the Pacific, Juan Ramón Rivera.

The First Lady commented that the reactivation route establishes that the Island becomes a benchmark for good sustainability practices, as an example for other tourist destinations in the area of ​​influence.

“This is an investment aimed at the well-being of the community of Puntarenas and the Gulf of Nicoya, by generating jobs and encouraging development, and we also set out to be a benchmark in the best practices of construction and sustainable management, with works of low impact and concordance with its surroundings “, explained the architect and first lady Dobles.

The Minister of Tourism, Revelo said that the reactivation of San Lucas is a priority because of its economic impact in the area of ​​influence and the historical, cultural, heritage and biological value that the island represents.

“By propitiating a tourist destination in San Lucas, a focus of economic reactivation would be achieved to link directly with productive chains in the islands of the Gulf and Puntarenas, with this approach, we will achieve a better and more efficient development of the area and a generation of opportunities for its people”, added the Minister of Tourism.

Currently, the Island has an important lag in several axes. In the historical theme, the wealth of architectural heritage is at serious risk due to its deterioration and lack of proper maintenance. Added to this, the shortage of personnel in the Island adds to the vulnerability, not only of the patrimonial structures, but of the dry forest and the maritime zone of the island. In infrastructure, there are important challenges due to the lack of public services such as water and electricity.

As part of the proposal for the reactivation of the Island, innovative solutions will also be included for the problem of electric service, such as the construction of a micro-grid of energy programmed to make the most efficient use of the electrical resource and to be nourished by an independent and clean matrix. .

Short term:

  • Inclusion of park rangers and policemen with daytime and nighttime presence on the Island.
  • Conditioning of the house of the park rangers on the Island.
  • Rehabilitation of the path to Cocos Beach.
  • Structural intervention of the priority patrimonial area.
  • Preparation of a short-term visitation strategy.

Reactivation of the Island is a priority due to its economic impact in the area and its historical, cultural, patrimonial and biological value.

“We at MINAE celebrate the inter-institutional efforts that have been taking place for the reactivation of the San Lucas Island National Wildlife Refuge as a tourism development hub for the Central Canton of Puntarenas.We are pleased to strengthen the Island’s integral management, guaranteeing conservation of their ecosystems and promoting opportunities for regional development, “said Deputy Environment Minister Pamela Castillo.