If you've read about a Coiba Prison Tour and are wondering whether you can still visit the old penal colony, here's the honest, up-to-date answer: no — the former prison area is currently closed to tourists. And as of June 2026, there's a very concrete reason: the facility is once again holding prisoners. Here's what happened, and what you can still experience in Coiba National Park.
A quick history
From around 1920 until its closure in 2004, Coiba Island was home to one of the most feared penal colonies in Latin America — at its peak it held some 2,500 prisoners in remote camps scattered across the island. When the prison closed, Coiba became a national park, and in 2005 UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. For years, the abandoned prison buildings near the ranger station were a haunting curiosity that some operators included in their tours.
What changed in June 2026
In mid-June 2026, Panama's government transferred a group of 29 inmates classified as high-risk to a detention facility operating inside the Teniente Nelson Tenas aeronaval station on Coiba Island, run by the National Aeronaval Service (Senan). According to official statements, the measure was part of a national security plan following a major prison break at La Joyita (near Panama City) in early June, and security vulnerabilities detected at the Punta Coco facility.
In other words: part of the island is once again an active, high-security detention area. That zone is under military-grade security and completely off-limits to visitors. No tour operator can take you to the old prison area — and given the circumstances, none should try.
Is it still safe to visit Coiba as a tourist?
Yes. The detention facility operates inside an existing aeronaval base in one specific area of the island. The visitor areas of the park — the snorkeling reefs, the beaches, the visitor center and Ranchería Island — are in a completely different zone and remain open and fully operational. Tourism to Coiba continues every day, exactly as before: boats leave Santa Catalina each morning, and hundreds of visitors enjoy the park in high season. The environmental authorities have stated that park operations and the protected ecosystems continue under supervision.
What you can still experience in Coiba
The prison was never the reason to come to Coiba — the real magic is in the water. On a day tour from Santa Catalina you can still:
- Snorkel three world-class spots — Coco Grande, Coco Pequeño and Turtle Island (Isla Tortuga).
- Visit the Coiba visitor center and relax on Ranchería Island.
- Swim with sea turtles, reef sharks, rays and hundreds of tropical fish.
- Spot dolphins on the boat ride out, and humpback whales in season (June–October).
Will the prison area ever reopen to tourism?
Nobody can say right now. The situation is actively debated in Panama — environmental authorities, the Ombudsman's office and conservation groups have raised legal and environmental concerns about prison use inside a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while the government maintains it is a necessary security measure using existing buildings. What that means for travelers is simple: plan your Coiba trip around the ocean, not the ruins. If access ever changes, local operators will be the first to know — feel free to ask us for the latest before you travel.
The bottom line
You cannot visit the old Coiba prison: since June 2026 the area holds an active high-security detention facility and is strictly off-limits. But Coiba National Park itself remains open, safe for visitors, and as spectacular as ever — one of the richest marine ecosystems in the Eastern Pacific, and an unforgettable day trip from Santa Catalina.