The Ruins of Chacachacare
The island of Chacachacare has a very intriguing story to tell, in the late 19th century the St. Catherine church along with a presbytery a school and a hospital was was built on the island to treat with leprosy and mentally ill patients that were formally given care on the mainland of Trinidad.
Being the furthest point from Trinidad and a mere 7 miles from Venezuela, the island was considered remote outpost; consequently it was outfitted with its own power generator plant, lighthouse and jail - essentially Chacachacare was relatively self sustained and governed by the St. Dominic nunnery.
The Dominic Sisters' circa 1930
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| Images of The Dominic Sisters' Convent | ||
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| Abandoned Lepers Quarters |
Being the furthest point from Trinidad and a mere 7 miles from Venezuela, the island was considered remote outpost; consequently it was outfitted with its own power generator plant, lighthouse and jail - essentially Chacachacare was relatively self sustained and governed by the St. Dominic nunnery.
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| Derelict Power Generation Station There are further eerie and lamentable stories of Chacachacare however, one recorded case was that of a nun, Sr Rose de Sainte Marie Vebert who succumbed to the same ailment she was there to treat; leprosy. A diary entry on on June 17th 1937 read: "The sisters kept singing hymns and canticles by her bedside to help her regain her calm when terrible fits shook her poor body. Finally she breathed her last, gently. The sisters transported her body to the chapel. While she lay there exposed, something extraordinary happened: all traces of the awful disease disappeared from her face, and it was looking most beautiful …" To date there are tales of ghost sightings of nuns and infected patients; these tales however do not seem to deter tourists and campers and it should not deter you either as the eerie rustles at night are almost almost attributed to squirrels and iguanas and other nocturnal creates foraging.
It is definitely worth the half hour boat ride from Chaguaramas if you wish to experience what remains of Chacachacare as the CDA has not officially launched any initiatives to preserve the infrastructure
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Thanks for posting ! I've been here a few times but never ventured too far in - I'll definitely take your advice and visit soon before nature reclaims it all ! Such a mysterious place with an equally mysterious history.
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