Castillo de la Real Fuerza Castle

Discover the Castillo de la Real Fuerza Castle in Old Havana, Cuba, one of Cuba’s most ancient castles

Castillo de la Real Fuerza Castle
© W. Méndez.

The Castillo de la Real Fuerza Castle is a great sample of military architecture during the Spain's rule over the Caribbean. It is located in the Plaza de Armas Square in Old Havana facing the sea. The Castle, as well as the rest of the old city’s fortifications, has been declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Castle of the Royal Force ©W.Méndez

Fortaleza Museum & Royal Force Museum.
©L.Kerner

The Castillo de la Real Fuerza Castle is the oldest fortress still preserved in all the Americas. It was built between 1558 and 1577, in the same location where a fort was destroyed by French pirates in 1555. In 1762, the fortress became one of the main defensive strongholds in Cuba, managing to keep the city safe from an attack by the English Crown.

The west tower is crowned by the copy of a well-known bronze weathervane called La Giraldilla. The original was made in Havana in 1630 and is quite similar to the Giralda of Seville. Nowadays it is on exhibition in the City Museum, located in this square.

The turret is known as Espera Tower due to the legend of Doña Inés de Bobadilla, wife of the Spanish conqueror Hernando de Soto, who became governor of Cuba during her husband’s attempts to conquer La Florida, and climbed to the top of the turret daily, awaiting the return of her husband’s ship. He never returned, dying during said conquest.

The castle is surrounded by an incredible moat, which is currently the Maritime Museum.

It was the residence of the General Governor for around two centuries, and nowadays houses the Fortaleza Museum and Royal Force Museum, where there is a 1:100 scale model exhibition depicting the evolution of the castle based on a 1961 map of the Plaza de Armas Square and its surroundings.

The museum also exhibits several items related to daily life in and purposes of the castle dating from the 16th to the 18th century.

More information:

Location:

Calle O’ Reilly (Plaza de Armas) / Avenida del Puerto, La Habana - Cuba.

Entrance Price:

2 CUC.

Hours:

From Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 to 17:00.

Phone:

(+53) 864 4490.

Interactive map:

What to see in Old Havana

Other nearby destinations:

Why "Trip Cuba"?

Trip Cuba is an organization of Cuban agencies whose objectives are:

✓ To make Cuba, its culture and its heritage known.
✓ To promote sustainable tourism.
✓ To support the local economy, prioritizing direct contact with Cuban agencies.

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