Fort Lambert, Military fortification in Coquimbo, Chile

Fort Lambert is a low, curving wall of rough brown and gray stone on a rocky point above the sea at Punta Pelícanos, on Castillo del Carmen hill. Stone steps on the left lead to a small raised platform with a door, and two black cannons are mounted on the wall. Three black lantern posts stand along the walkway, and a yellow diamond-shaped sign is fixed to the outer wall.

A first fortification appeared in 1865, when two small cannon were placed on Castillo del Carmen hill during the war with Spain; they were later withdrawn. In 1879 Carlos J. Lambert built a new fort to protect Coquimbo from Peruvian ships, and on 10 July 1879 a 150-pound Armstrong muzzle-loading cannon was installed by the Municipal Artillery Brigade under Eleazar Lezaeta. The municipality restored and expanded the fort in 2003–2005.

The name honours Carlos J. Lambert, the businessman who built the fort in 1879 to protect the port from Peruvian ships during the War of the Pacific. The site is also called Fuerte Coquimbo, and the promontory is known as Punta Pelícanos for the pelicans on the islet offshore. The 150-pound Armstrong cannon was installed on 10 July 1879 by the Civic Artillery Brigade.

The site is open most days with free access and paths connecting the towers and platforms. Sturdy shoes are recommended since the hilltop is uneven and often windy.

From here you can look toward Punta Pelicanos island, where large groups of pelicans gather regularly and create a natural spectacle. The bird colonies are especially active in good weather when the sea is calm.