Morro Castle

About this place

Morro Castle, in full the Castle of the Three Kings, is a stone fortress guarding the entrance to Havana harbour, on a rocky headland facing Old Havana. You can see it from far away and from most of the Malecón, and it is among the best-known images of Cuba. In Spanish, morro means a rock visible from the sea that serves as a landmark for sailors. It is part of the World Heritage Site. It was built in 1589 in response to raids on the city, to a design by the Italian engineer Battista Antonelli. It protected the harbour with a chain strung across the water to the fort at La Punta. The British captured it in 1762 and returned it to Spain under the Treaty of Paris in 1763. It stayed the harbour's main defence until La Cabaña was finished in 1774. You see thick sand-coloured walls growing straight from the rock, with a tall white lighthouse at the point. From the top the view runs over the sea and the Havana skyline, with a row of old cannon on the walls. At sunset the fort turns to a dark shape against the sky when seen from across the harbour. It is about 1 km from the cathedral in a straight line, but you get there by taxi through the harbour tunnel, so agree the price and the return first. Taxis may be scarce because of fuel shortages. The walls are exposed, so bring a hat and water. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to Cuba because of fuel, power and water shortages, so read the current advice before you plan.