Things to Do at Castillo de la Real Fuerza

Thick stone walls bleached by 450 years of Caribbean sun rise from the edge of Havana Bay. Castillo de la Real Fuerza, finished in 1577, is the oldest stone fortress in the Americas - built after the pirate Jacques de Sores burned Havana to the ground in 1555 and the Spanish decided wooden walls were not going to cut it. The moat still holds water and the drawbridge still works, though the last person to cross it under duress did so in the 17th century. On top of the watchtower, a small bronze woman holds a palm frond and a cross. This is La Giraldilla, cast in 1632, and you will recognize her from every bottle of Havana Club rum. The fortress now holds a Maritime Museum with model ships, navigation instruments, and ceramics pulled from wrecks in the harbor. The building itself is the real exhibit - walk the ramparts and look out over the bay toward El Morro, the same view that Spanish lookouts scanned for pirate sails.

On Plaza de Armas in the heart of Old Havana - you will walk past it while exploring the colonial core. From any casa particular in Habana Vieja, it is a 5-10 minute walk. From Vedado, a taxi costs USD 5-10 or 500-1,000 CUP. The tower with La Giraldilla is visible from the harbor waterfront. Combine with the nearby Cathedral Square and Plaza Vieja, all within a 10-minute walk of each other.