Presidio Modelo

Presidio Modelo is a former prison on Isla de la Juventud, an island off the southern coast of Cuba. The complex consists of five circular buildings where cells are arranged in multiple tiers around central observation towers.

Construction began in 1926 under President Gerardo Machado and was completed in 1931. After the failed attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953, Fidel Castro and other revolutionaries were held here before the prison closed in 1967.

The name Presidio comes from Spanish colonial terminology for a fortified military post. Visitors today walk through the empty cell blocks and can see how the design aimed to control every aspect of daily life for those held inside.

The complex sits outside the town of Nueva Gerona and is accessible via the main road across the island. Visitors can walk through the circular structures and the administration building, where exhibits explain the history of the facility.

The towers in the circular buildings stand empty and visitors can enter the cell corridors, where light filters through the barred windows. The administration building now houses a museum with photographs and documents from the time when the facility was in operation.

Location: Isla de la Juventud

Official opening: September 16, 1931

GPS coordinates: 21.87778,-82.76639

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:25