Chacachacare, the largest island on the Western Isle off Trinidad, is located seven miles from Venezuela and is angular shaped with a length of two square miles. In 1498 Columbus called the island El Caracol meaning the snail. The name Chaca derived from the Amerindian word?for cotton and in 1783 cotton grown on the island was Trinidad's chief agricultural export.
Today, if you were to take a?hike to The Boca Lighthouse, evidence of cotton cultivation can?be seen blossoming along the roadside. In the 18th century, a whaling station was established and in 1924, the Dominican nuns, with the assistance of the Governor, built a leprosarium at Saunders and Coco Bay to accommodate 500 patients.
The original hospital was at Cocorite but, as the disease became more widespread, the authorities felt it was best to isolate and ostracised these patients.
Much misconceptions were felt about the disease and some believed it was a curse or punishment from God. It was like a death sentence for a Hansen patient to be sent to the Island since?the sick were taken away from their families and confined to spend the rest of their lives, restricted to male and female wards. Chachachacaare in the 50s looked totally different compared to the ruins you will see today.