Fortaleza San Felipe, 16th-century coastal castle and military museum in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Fortaleza San Felipe is a stone fortress sitting on a hill at Puntilla del Malecón with four round towers positioned at the corners. Inside, the structure houses military equipment, weapons, and uniforms from different periods of history.

The fortress was built in 1564 under orders from Spain's King Philip II to defend the port against pirates and enemy ships. This reveals how important Puerto Plata was as a trading center for Spanish colonial power.

The fort's name honours King Felipe II of Spain, who commissioned it, and locals call it El Morro de San Felipe. Since 1965 it has housed a museum of 18th- and 19th-century military artifacts, and it was opened to the public in 1983. The cell where Juan Pablo Duarte was held as a political prisoner is part of what visitors see.

You can walk around the exterior walls to view the round towers from different angles, or explore the interior rooms where collections are displayed. Access to the site is straightforward and there are paths that let you move freely across the grounds.

The fort was converted into a museum in 1965, underwent a major renovation in 1972, and officially opened to the public in 1983. It is the only remaining 16th-century structure in Puerto Plata; other historic buildings were destroyed in battles or fires during the War of Restoration.