San Carlos de la Barra Fortress, Colonial fortress in Municipio Almirante Padilla, Venezuela
The San Carlos de la Barra Fortress stands at the entrance to Lake Maracaibo, built with limestone rocks from the Island of Toas in 1623.
The fortress repelled an attack from German warships during the Venezuelan Crisis of 1903, demonstrating its strategic military importance in coastal defense.
The fortress holds architectural elements of 15th-century Italian bastion design, reflecting European military construction techniques adapted to South American conditions.
Visitors can access multiple levels of the fortress, examining the watchtowers, bastions, and defensive walls that overlook the surrounding waters.
The fortress served as both a military stronghold and a prison, where poet Eduardo López Bustamante produced literary works during his confinement.
Location: Municipio Almirante Padilla
GPS coordinates: 10.98644,-71.60762
Latest update: May 11, 2025 21:04
Venezuela presents diverse landscapes for photography. Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall, drops 979 meters. Los Roques beaches display turquoise waters. Canaima National Park features waterfalls between table mountains. The capital Caracas shows colonial architecture next to modern buildings.
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