Castillo de Jagua

The Jagua Fortress (Spanish: Castillo de Jagua) is a fortress south of Cienfuegos in Cuba. It is located near the entrance to the Bay of Cienfuegos (Spanish: Bahia de Cienfuegos), in the port of Jagua.

Overview

The fortress, also called the castle, was erected by King Philip V of Spain (1683-1746) in 1742 to protect the bay from pirates who prowled the Caribbean coast in those days. They used it as refuge at landfall, on their way to the city of Cienfuegos (founded on April 22, 1819, by French colonists, bordering the Bay of Jagua), seeking collect water, food and other supplies.

The fort is built in solid limestone, has several floors, a well, a watch tower and a moat that was never flooded. It also has a drawbridge in perfect condition, one of the last to remain fit for use.

Since the coastal city of Cienfuegos was built at the end of the 1910s; its harbor, guarded by the fortress, became one of the most important centers of commerce in the central part of the "Island of Cuba" during that period of the colony, and to this day remains one essential port on the country's economy.