Fortaleza San Felipe
Sixteenth-century Spanish fort guarding Puerto Plata harbour, now a museum of arms and artefacts.
The fortress was commissioned in 1564 and finished in 1577, and was named after Philip II of Spain. It occupies a low promontory at the western end of the Puerto Plata waterfront, commanding the entrance to the harbour, and formed part of the chain of Spanish coastal defences built against rival European powers and against raiding. Thick coral-stone walls, a dry moat and a drawbridge survive, together with gun platforms whose cannon still point out towards the Atlantic.
Buccaneers briefly held the fort in 1659 and it saw action during the battle of Puerto Plata harbour in 1800. In later centuries it served repeatedly as a prison, including under the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, and the national hero Juan Pablo Duarte was held here in 1844. Conversion to a museum began in 1965, followed by a substantial restoration in 1972, and the building opened to visitors in 1983. Displays include Taino pottery, coins, swords, shot and military equipment.
Highlights
- Coral-stone walls, dry moat and drawbridge of the 1570s
- Original cannon on the gun platforms facing the Atlantic
- Cells used as a prison, including for Juan Pablo Duarte in 1844
- Taino pottery, coins, swords and military equipment on display
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