As a chartered ferry pulls up to Gorgona, an island off the Ligurian coast of Italy, the landscape showcases exactly what travelers might expect from the region: blue-black rocky outcrops on the shore, crystal-clear water below, and beautiful, rolling green hills with a glimpse of thriving vineyards visible from the right angle.

And though the scenery evokes similar touristy destinations like the Amalfi coast and other coveted European beaches, it isn’t quite a tourist attraction in the typical sense. Despite the bucolic surroundings, this place is a prison.