Wall of Tears, Penal colony wall in Isabela Island, Galápagos, Ecuador

The Wall of Tears is a stone structure on Isabela Island built during the penal colony era. It was constructed from lava rocks and stands as a physical reminder of the labor required to build it.

The structure was built during a prison program in the mid-20th century on the Galápagos island. It marks a dark chapter when inmates were forced into severe labor.

Local people call it the Wall of Tears, and legend says eerie cries come from it and a heavy energy surrounds it. The penal colony held about 100 convicts out of some 250 inhabitants of Isabela and Floreana in 1950, mostly convicted of minor crimes. The wall appears in Jodi Picoult's 2021 novel Wish You Were Here.

The monument lies west of Puerto Villamil and is best reached by bicycle or on foot. The path goes through natural terrain, so bring sturdy shoes and water.

The wall's nickname comes from local legend: residents say eerie screams emanate from it and that a heavy energy surrounds it. The penal colony was razed after closing in 1959; as of 1997 the only visible ruins were a heavily rusted iron cylinder and the wall itself.