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Morro Castle, Havana

Discover the Castillo de los Tres Santos Reyes del Morro Castle in Havana, Cuba and witness history unravel

Morro Castle
©Pan

Castillo de los Tres Santos Reyes del Morro (Morro Castle) was erected between 1589 and 1630 to protect the mouth of the Havana port from pirates and invaders. The fortress stands on a rocky promontory known as El Morro, over the Atlantic.

Castillo de los Tres Santos Reyes del Morro
©Leo Kerner

Lighthouse at the Morro Castle
© Tai Pan

It was the King of Spain who ordered the castle to be built and appointed Juan de Texeda, a field commander, and Batista Antonelli, a military architect, to lead the works. The castle was originally planned to have an irregular polygonal shape, with three-meter-thick walls and deep moats.

The castle is an perfect example of renaissance military architecture, and is endowed with an harmonic elegance that melds with its natural surroundings through a series of terraces fused to the rock.

This fort withstood endless attacks by Dutch, French, and British pirates for more than a century. In 1762, and after a siege that lasted for 44 days, a British army of fourteen thousand men was able to take El Morro from land.

Nowadays, the castle offers impressive views of the sea and Havana. It is home to the Maritime Museum. The lighthouse that crowns its tower was added in 1844 and helps guide ships docking in the port. You can climb to the top of it by paying two extra CUC, and it also offers amazing views of both the sea and the city.

More information:

Location:

Parque Histórico Militar Morro-Cabaña.

Ticket price:

6 CUC for general admission, plus 2 CUC more to climb the lighthouse.

Opening hours:

Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 17:00, and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 to 16:00.

Interactive map: