Castillo San Felipe del Morro in Puerto Rico

#El_Morro_Puerto_Rico

Castillo San Felipe del Morro is located in Old San Juan Puerto Rico and was an important military outpost first for Spain plus later the United States.

It was actively used as a military installation during both World Wars, when finally in 1961 the US Army retired El Morro and passed it on to the National Park Service

KeyTip;
 El Morro is open seven days per week from 9.30am-4.30pm with the entrance fee of (a great value)  $10.00 for adults and children under age 15 is free,
 plus there are Park Rangers who will give you a tour in either English or Spanish which is included in the admission
Also with that pass it will allow you to visit the other fort of Castillo San Cristobal within the City of San Juan, which has a free trolley that will take you to the entrance of that historical structure

In 1508 Juan Ponce de Leon (Christopher Columbus lieutenant) moved the existing settlement to what is now Old San Juan plus named the city Puerto Rico (Rich Port)
Which around 1522 the names were interchanged, thus the island became Puerto Rico and the capital San Juan

Because of the islands position in the Caribbean it was nicknamed The Gateway to The New World
 So the European powers knew whoever controlled Puerto Rico would be in charge of the ocean routes from the Americas to Europe
 
Thus the construction by the Spanish of El Morro started in 1539, but it took around 250 years to complete

During World War 11 the United States used El Morro to track the movements of German submarines in the Caribbean 

In the beginning it was a lopsided affair as the U-Boats sunk 300+ ships with only 12 of their war machinery lost
 But the Allies regrouped and soon organized a more effective anti-submarine warfare which drove the adversary out of the area

El Morro is made up of six levels with dungeons, barracks, passageways and storerooms 

The holding cells of the fort were of extreme punishment on their own
They had an overwhelming combination of darkness, stifling heat, rodents, insects and isolation all which eliminated the need for further torture instruments

One of the many Watchtowers or Lookout Posts 
Purposely built to have strategic viewing points towards the ocean which allowed the guards to spot and warn of approaching enemy ships

 Present Times
The Garitas is now an iconic symbol of Puerto Rico and is recognized with the island for its colonial heritage

One of the ramps that take you to the many levels of the fort which was never taken through the sea
Many tried like Sir Francis Drake plus the Dutch, but the military structure repelled every naval assault that came its way

Finally in 1598 an English invasion force (20 ships plus 1700 men) captured the fort by landing their troops and attacking from the land, many experts considered this as the primary weakness which proved correct
 But the British was forced to withdraw weeks later due to a dysentery epidemic, so were unable to maintain control of the island
 In which the Commander Sir George Clifford ordered the city of San Juan to be sacked and burned to the ground

For over 500 years El Morro (with its 40 foot high  and 20 feet wide walls) defended the island from all sea attacks
And after the British land invasion with that lesson learned, the Spanish sent more resources to rebuild plus expand the citys fortifications, which lead to the eventual construction of the massive Castillo San Cristobal  to guard against land based assaults

 That all being said, United States with its more sophisticated military technology had the fort transferred to its name after winning the Spanish-American War in 1898 

UNESCO designated Castillo San Felipe Del Morro as a World Heritage Landmark in 1983
Allow yourself a half a day to explore all the tunnels, rooms, read all the information and of course some great photography opportunities

Today El Morro is the most visited tourist attraction in Puerto Rico especially now with all its Cruise Ship visits that the island welcomes
( if you are a passenger make sure your on top deck as you enter the harbor to view this massive structure) 

Looking out from the fort we see the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery which was constructed in 1863 with its 40 foot high walls
The Spanish purposely put the site here as the ocean has a symbolic meaning which represents the spirits journey to the afterlife

 Garita del Diablo
Not sure if i found the right one but as legend has it the "Devils Sentry Box" tells of a solider who vanished from his post while on duty one night
With some attributing his disappearance to the devil, but the sane people 😄whispered of a secret elopement with a local gal

This actual lighthouse in 1846 was the first for Puerto Rico, then the Americans rebuilt the tower in 1908 which by this time was the fourth structure
Moving onto 1962, the light was automated thus the resident lighthouse keepers were out of work

Finally in the 1990s, the building was restored to its original appearance by the US National Park Service as part of the quincentennial commemoration of Christopher Columbus arrival
 

Filming Location

Was used for a few movies including; 
A) Amistad where it represented a fort in Sierra Leone
B) Blue Beetle had it as both the villians fortress and the heros headquarters
C) Thunder Island for an extensive chase plus shootout scenes

 
Walking back from El Morro in Old San Juan you cannot help but notice the cobblestone streets that are full of history that i find out dates back to the late 16th Century

It came from the blue stone cast from furnace slag and ballasts of the Spanish ships (then they replaced that stability material with the silver that they raided from South America.....more history) 
The cobblestones then were laid out in a pattern that allowed the rainwater to drain efficiently preventing flooding and erosion

  Since then have survived hurricanes, earthquakes plus time