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Wall of Tears

Wall of Tears

A testament to a time of cruelty on Galápagos

Information about Wall of Tears

Biodiversity

Panorama

Accesibility

Called “El Muro de las Lágrimas” in Spanish, the Wall of Tears is located 6km from the town of Villamil. For visitors who enjoy hiking this a very interesting and historic path that leads from the centre of town. You soon pass the the Villamil cemetery, which contains the graves of some of the first permanent settlers on the islands.

Halfway along its length, the walking trail goes along a white sand beach surrounded by lagoons which host all 4 of the native Galápagos mangrove species close to one another.

Your walk continues through the arid zone until, out of nowhere, you come across the Wall of Tears. This is close to the site of the former penal colony that existed on Isabela Island between 1944 and 1959. Prisoners were forced to construct The Wall for no other reason than to punish them with "hard labor". In places the wall is almost 20ft tall and 10ft wide, and it runs for over 300ft in length. It was constructed entirely by hand from the sharp lava rocks, and this cruelty is said to have resulted in many deaths.

Locals say that if you listen closely to the wall you can hear the cries of the spirits of long-dead prisoners…

Interesting facts about Wall of Tears

A somber reminder of crueller times

Native mangroves on the trail

The graves of the earliest settlers of the archipelago

Pictures of Wall of Tears

Wall of Tears

Possible Activities in Wall of Tears

hiking

Hiking

Highlights Close to Wall of Tears

Animals in Wall of Tears

Our trips to Wall of Tears


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