Fuerte del Príncipe Alfonso, Fort in Ceuta, Spain
Fuerte del Príncipe Alfonso is a 19th-century military fort built on a promontory in the west of Ceuta, in the Barriada del Príncipe neighborhood, overlooking the bay. It has a rectangular shape with a dry moat around much of its perimeter, arrowhead-shaped bastions, and gun positions along its southern wall.
The fort was designed in 1860 by engineer Paulino Aldaz, shortly after the war between Spain and Morocco that had turned Ceuta into a frontier city. It was built using concrete, lime, brick, and stone, materials that have kept the structure in good condition to this day.
The fort takes its name from Prince Alfonso, the son of Queen Isabella II, in whose honor it was named after the 1860 war. The courtyard hides a cistern beneath the ground, which collected rainwater to keep the garrison supplied with water.
The fort is open to the public and can be explored freely during the day without any reservation. The elevated position requires a short uphill walk, but the view over the bay makes it worthwhile.
The fort was built to hold around 300 soldiers and was arranged on multiple levels for rifles and small artillery pieces. This layout allowed defenders to fire from different heights at the same time, which gave them a real advantage in combat.
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