Castillo de Santa Cruz, Military castle on Santa Cruz Island, Oleiros, Spain.
Castillo de Santa Cruz is a stone fortress built on a small island off the coast of Oleiros and connected to the mainland by a stone bridge. The structure features defensive walls and circular towers at each corner that once surveyed the entrance to the Bay of A Coruña.
The fortress was built in the 16th century to protect the Bay of A Coruña from attacks by English corsairs and Dutch naval forces. It served as a key defense installation for the region throughout the following centuries.
The fortress now serves as a center for environmental education where visitors learn about marine life and coastal ecosystems. The exhibitions show how local people interact with the sea and work to protect these natural spaces.
To visit the fortress, cross the stone bridge from the mainland in Oleiros, which is easy to reach on foot. Guided tours are available several times per week and provide context about the site's history and current use.
The fortress houses a specialized library with thousands of volumes on marine science and environmental studies of the Galician coast. This collection makes it an important resource for researchers and visitors interested in the region's maritime natural history.
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