Castillo de Atarés, Colonial fortress in Havana, Cuba
Castillo de Atarés is a hexagonal stone fortress sitting on a hilltop in Havana with six corner watchtowers and a wide moat surrounding it. Inside are vaulted chambers, storage spaces, and a central parade ground with views over the harbor.
Engineer Agustín Cramer oversaw construction from 1763 to 1767, right after a brief British occupation of Havana exposed weaknesses in the city's defenses. This fortress was built to prevent such an invasion from happening again.
The fortress was a key part of Spain's defense strategy during colonial times and shows how military thinking shaped the city's layout. Walking through it, you see the spaces where soldiers lived and worked to guard the harbor.
The fortress is best visited in good weather since you walk on walls and platforms in open areas. Guided tours help explain what each section was used for and make navigating the spaces easier.
The roof platforms feature six artillery positions arranged so cannons could cover the entire bay and city at the same time. This design allowed defenders to counter any attack from any direction without having to relocate weapons.
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