Portrait of a female author standing against a brick wall, wearing a green jacket and grey shirt.

Sophia R.

Prisons & Fortresses South America France

Devil's Island: The Penal Colony That Devoured 70,000 Men in the Jungle

France shipped 70,000 convicts to a jungle prison in South America. Fewer than 2,000 came home. The story of Devil's Island — from the Dreyfus Affair to the dry guillotine.

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Devil's Island: The Penal Colony That Devoured 70,000 Men in the Jungle

South America

Journey deep into the jungle and the Andes. We document the lost cities of ancient empires, the ruins of colonial conquest, and the sites marked by political revolutions and illicit trade.

Sewell: The Vertical Ghost Town Chile Built for American Copper

Sewell: The Vertical Ghost Town Chile Built for American Copper

15,000 people lived on a 40-degree cliff with no streets and no cars. Chile emptied Sewell in the 1970s and nearly demolished it. Now it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Portrait of a male author wearing a cap and backpack, smiling with a city skyline at sunset in the background.

Hacienda La Manuela: The Bombed Ruins of Pablo Escobar's Lakeside Paradise

A bombed mansion, $100 million hidden in the walls, and a butler who lived in the ruins for 30 years. The full story of Escobar's forgotten lake house.

Diego A.

Wager Island: The Shipwreck That Put the British Empire on Trial

Tragedies & Disasters

Wager Island: The Shipwreck That Put the British Empire on Trial

The captain shot a man in the face. The crew ate their dead. Both sides made it home — and accused each other of murder. The true story of HMS Wager.

Diego A.

Valongo Wharf: The Uncovered Scar of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Tragedies & Disasters

Valongo Wharf: The Uncovered Scar of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Discover Valongo Wharf, the forgotten slave port in Rio de Janeiro where nearly one million enslaved Africans arrived during the transatlantic slave trade. Explore its history, the archaeological rediscovery of its ruins, and its significance as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cidade de Deus: The Favela That Became a Symbol of Rio’s Urban Struggle

Explore Cidade de Deus, the symbol of Rio's urban violence and resilience. Learn about its origins as a failed public housing project, the rise of drug gangs, the daily struggles of its residents and how the film Cidade de Deus brought international attention to the community.

Medellín’s Comuna 13: From War Zone to Graffiti Paradise

Inside the vertical maze of Comuna 13: A record of Escobar’s sicarios, the 2002 blackout massacre, and the mass graves of a mountain that refused to stay silent.

Barrio Pablo Escobar: The Living Architecture of Medellín’s Most Complex Moral Crisis

A deep dive into the history of Barrio Pablo Escobar in Medellín: the cinderblock fortress built by a drug lord to house the dispossessed and buy a seat in Congress. Explore the neighborhood where the drug lord is still worshipped.

Diego A.

Jonestown: The Dark Legacy of the Peoples Temple and the Largest Mass Suicide in Modern History

Tragedies & Disasters

Jonestown: The Dark Legacy of the Peoples Temple and the Largest Mass Suicide in Modern History

Explore the chilling history of Jonestown, the remote Guyanese settlement where over 900 people died in the largest mass suicide in modern history. Learn about Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, the final days of paranoia and violence, and the massacre’s enduring impact on survivors and the world.

Santa Mónica District, Cali: The Gilded Bunkers of the Cali Cartel Gentlemen

Explore the Santa Mónica district in Cali, Colombia—the former headquarters where the Cali Cartel's Rodríguez Orejuela brothers ran a global cocaine empire from fortified luxury mansions.

Diego A.

Machu Picchu: The Lost City of the Inca and Its Enduring Mysteries

Ruins of Civilizations

Machu Picchu: The Lost City of the Inca and Its Enduring Mysteries

Explore Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Inca, nestled high in the Andes of Peru. Learn about the Inca Empire, the rediscovery of Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham, and the theories behind its purpose and abandonment.

Robinson Crusoe Island: The True Story Behind the Legend

Discover the true story behind Robinson Crusoe Island, where Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk survived alone for over four years. Explore the island’s history, ecology, and the real-life events that inspired Daniel Defoe’s classic novel.

Rocinha: Inside Rio’s Largest Favela - The Labyrinth of Concrete, Color, and Chaos

Explore Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela, where poverty, violence, and resilience intersect. Discover its origins as a squatter settlement, the daily realities of life in the favela, and the vibrant culture of funk, street art, and community activism.

Diego A.

Devil's Island: The Penal Colony That Devoured 70,000 Men in the Jungle

South America

Sewell: The Vertical Ghost Town Chile Built for American Copper

Hacienda La Manuela: The Bombed Ruins of Pablo Escobar's Lakeside Paradise

Wager Island: The Shipwreck That Put the British Empire on Trial

Valongo Wharf: The Uncovered Scar of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Cidade de Deus: The Favela That Became a Symbol of Rio’s Urban Struggle

Medellín’s Comuna 13: From War Zone to Graffiti Paradise

Barrio Pablo Escobar: The Living Architecture of Medellín’s Most Complex Moral Crisis

Jonestown: The Dark Legacy of the Peoples Temple and the Largest Mass Suicide in Modern History

Santa Mónica District, Cali: The Gilded Bunkers of the Cali Cartel Gentlemen

Machu Picchu: The Lost City of the Inca and Its Enduring Mysteries

Robinson Crusoe Island: The True Story Behind the Legend

Rocinha: Inside Rio’s Largest Favela - The Labyrinth of Concrete, Color, and Chaos

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