Castillo de la Real Fuerza, Havana

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The castle and art market ("feria de artes") are on the edge of La Habana Vieja ("Old Havana") across from the Malecon. Its a 30 minute walk or so from Centro Habana or a $2-3 cab ride.

Part of Cuba is the country's amazing investment in and contribution to art, whether it be music, theatre, plastic arts etc. At the Feria, there are a number of stalls selling regular Cuban touristy items (jewellery, cigar paraphernalia, Che hats and shirts) but there is also a great selection of paintings to choose from. I found the prices to be very reasonable (you can bargain but of all things to negotiate for, I don't tend to drive a hard-bargain on art since it is a very beautiful, time-consuming, soul-wrenching type of labour and I like to respect the artists' prices) ranging from around $15 for a small, textured painting up to $60-100 for a very large, original piece. If it is larger, make sure the artist gives you a formal receipt (the $2 CUC charge may or may not be included in the painting price) which you can give to Customs should they inspect your luggage and find the art (they never have with me).

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The Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Castle of the Royal Force) is a fortress on the eastern side of the harbour in Havana, Cuba, set back from the entrance, and bordering the Plaza de Armas. Originally built to defend against attack by pirates, it has suffered from a poor strategic position too far inside the bay. The fortress is considered to be the oldest stone fortress in the Americas, and is listed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of "Old Havana and its Fortifications".

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Built in the 16th century, CASTILLO DE LA REAL FUERZA or Castle of the Royal Forces, is one of the oldest fortresses in the Americas.The fortress was built to protect Havana from raids by pirates and corsairs, that plagued the town in the 16th century.
It wasn't until 1577 that Real Fuerza was finally finished. The fortress was made out of limestone coral rock, dug out from the Harbour. It has underground vaulted storerooms, drawbridge, sloping walls, bastions and surrounded by a moat. As it was the safest building at the time, Spanish Governors took up residence inside the fortress.
Entrance fee 1 CUC peso

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The oldest building in Cuba (1558 - rebuilt in 1582). Cute little fort overlooking the Canal de Entrada, the access route from the open sea to the port of Havana. Lots of viewing points and a small museum along with a cafe and gallery. Open daily from 8.30am-6pm. there's not a great deal to see (ramparts, walls and corridors) but certainly worth 30 minutes or so of your time.

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The Plaza de Armas Park is a large park and centre of local and tourist activities located in the heart of Old Havana. There is a beautiful water fountain in the middle of the square, some benches, trees from different parts of Cuba, including palm trees and a large variety of flowers. In the centre there is a statue of the Cuban patriot hero Cespedes.

The park is well lit by many gas lamps. In the daytime there are people selling Spanish books, many of which pertain to the Cuban revolution of 1959. In the evenings the park fills with life as many locals and tourists go to the restaurants and bars that surround the park and is a nice place to sit and enjoy the evening perhaps with a bottle of rum. The square is very safe as there are many police walking around 24 hours a day to provide assistance.

Castillo de la Fuerza- was bultin 1558-77 to protect city from pirates, but despite the moat surroundings the castle soon proved to be quite inadequate as a defensive bulwark because of its poor strategic position, too far inside the bay. Thats why it became the residence for governors, military etc...Open 6am-6.30 daily

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Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Castle of Force) is a castle in the centre of old Havana that was built by Spanish Conquistadors.

The fort is surrounded by a moat and there are an array of cast iron cannons, ancient bronze cannons and bronze mortars on display. There is a a bell tower, bunkers and turrets to explore.

The castle also has several pens where West African slaves were kept upon their arrival. The pens are stone with huge iron gates. The slaves would enter through one gate where they were cleaned up before being led out anotherf gate where they would be auctioned to plantation owners.

This castle-fortress was built in XVI century to protect La Habana from pirates, after the city had suffered devastation with a buccaneer attack, which destroyed the original fortress in 1555. But the new fortress proved to be equally vulnerable and it was soon appointed to serve as a residence for governors and military chiefs. A weather vane was added in 1634 which was called La Giraldilla and that became a symbol for La Habana. Nowadays, the castle houses the Pottery Museum.

Este castillo-fortaleza fue construido en el siglo XVI para proteger La Habana de los piratas, despues de que la ciudad hubiese sido arrasada por un ataque bucanero que destruyo la fortaleza original en 1555. Pero la nueva fortaleza resulto ser igualmente vulnerable y pronto fue destinada a servir de residencia a gobernadores y jefes militares. Se le anhadio una veleta en 1634 que recibio el nombre de La Giraldilla y se convirtio en simbolo de La Habana. Hoy en dia, el castillo alberga el Museo Nacional de Ceramica.

Declared National monument. It was built to replace the former fort that the Governor of the Island had built under the orders of the Queen of Spain and which was destroyed in 1555 by the French corsair Jacques de Sores. It used to be the oldest colonial fort of the Americas, and was opened in 1577. It was the beginning of a fortification plan carried out by the Spanish crown in the Caribbean to protect the voyages of the Spanish fleet.

As it underwent several changes and enlargements like La Torre del Homenaje, a watchtower, and the old post of sentinels in 1632 that was used as a pedestal of a unique symbol of the city and well known worldwide: La Giraldilla, which perhaps represents the Giraldilla de Sevilla. It is also the oldest sculpture of Cuba.

Today it is the headquarters of the Museum of Artistic Ceramics which exhibits paintings of the Cuban artists Amelia Peláes, Wilfredo Lam, René Portocarrero, Rodríguez de la Cruz, and others representatives of the new generations of Cuban ceramists.