Place to go: Historic Sites

During WWII, Ataúro was occupied by Japan which built a fort on top of a hill. During an Indonesian occupation, a Catholic priest also built a grotto with a statue of Lady Mary.

It is hard to imagine that such a beautiful place was once home to a prison that locked up violent criminals, but that was the case in Ataúro. In 1520, the Portuguese developed the island as a penal colony for their colonial rule. With the long swim...