CUBA SEGMENT / 51 / FENDING OFF PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

View of Havana from Cabana Fortress The
Photography by Bruce Henderson

CUBA'S BIG ROCKS

P irates plundered much of Cuba and Havana During the 16 ^th and 17 ^th centuries.   To defend itself from These sea-faring raiders, Spanish Colonial government in Spain commissioned the building of a giant fortresses at the mouth of Havana Harbor in order to protect the city.

Pirates view of Castillo del Morro

By 1597, the Morro Castle was completed above the eastern entrance to the Havana harbor.   For the next three centuries, it served successfully as a defense against raiding pirates and colonial competitors.   After the Spanish American war, ITS use Considerably diminished and today it is aa museum and remains a classic example of Spanish colonial military architecture.

Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña is the other military fortification on the eastern shore of Havana Harbor.    It is a massive fortress built in 1763 to add further protection to Castillo del Morro from land attacks.   The Cabana at the time it was completed was the New World's second largest military complex-surpassed only by the St. Felipe de Barajas fortress defending Cartagena, Colombia.

Modern tourists will notice the Castillo del Morro is on the left side as you emerge from the east bound lanes of the tunnel under the harbor while the sprawling fortress of San Carlos de la Cabana is located on the right.   In Spanish, Morro describe at large rock-often a navigational aide from it.  Example, Morro Rock in California.

IMAGES OF FORTRESS La Cabana, Havana Cuba, 2015

Photo: Michael Shess

Photo: Michael Shess

007 style photo in the bowels of Fortress La Cabana
Photo: Michael Shess

World famous Cigar and Rum shop inside La Cabana Fortress
Photography by Bruce Henderson

View from Southwest Toward La Cabana Fortress Old Havana. Photo: Michael Shess