Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca
Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca (El Morro)
A 17th-century stone fortress guarding the mouth of Santiago Bay. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, its tiered batteries stack up a sea cliff, making it Eastern Cuba’s most spectacular sunset viewpoint.
The fort was designed by the Italian engineer Giovanni Battista Antonelli and built starting in 1638 to defend against pirates and the English. Its stacked terraces, drawbridge, gun emplacements, and dungeons are built into the cliffside. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Inside is a pirate museum, and visitors can look out over the Caribbean Sea and the bay entrance. At sunset, guards in old-style military uniforms fire a cannon in a ceremony. The fort is about 10 km from the city center, roughly 20 minutes by taxi or classic car hire. Admission is about US$5 equivalent, and photography costs extra.
Opening hours
Approx. 9:00–19:30 (check on site)
Nearby sights
- Cayo Granma
- Padre Pico Steps
- Balcón de Velázquez
- Calle Enramadas
- Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption
- Casa de Diego Velázquez
- Parque Céspedes
- Casa de la Trova