Castillo San Felipe del Morro - San Juan, Puerto Rico
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 18° 28.225 W 066° 07.417
19Q E 803786 N 2044649
Castillo San Felipe del Morro is located at the western entrance to San Juan Bay at the west end of Calle Del Morro, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Waymark Code: WMXFP7
Location: Puerto Rico
Date Posted: 01/07/2018
Views: 3
Sources:
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Puerto Rico Day Trips: (
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National Park Service: (
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Castillo San Felipe del Morro was build on the western tip of the island that guards the entrance to San Juan harbor. It, together with Castillo San Cristobal, was part of the walled city that constituted the third line of defense against enemy entry. The area within the walled city is now called Old San Juan.
The fortifications were built by the Spanish over a span of 250 years beginning in 1508. Spain considered Puerto Rico and the port of San Juan to be the key to maintaining their presence in the New World. The walls are six levels high and rise to a height of 145' above sea level. The original 6' thick walls were enlarged to 18' thick by the end of the 18th century. The most prominent feature inside the walls is the El Moro Lighthouse. Along surrounding walls are a number of distinctive sentry boxes known as garitas.
In 1983, Castillo San Felipe del Morro was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations