This old fortress was built by Spanish colonialists in order to protect the city of Baracoa from the constant sieges by pirates and corsairs it endured in the XVI and XVII centuries, as well as to clamp down on the contraband of products flowing to Santo Domingo, (in Dominican Republic), and to other smuggling points in the islands of the Caribbean.

The fortress allowed the protection all at once of the beach to its side, the inlet of the bay, while also enabling a vigilant watch over the entrance into the city by land, which explains the enormous strategic importance bestowed on it by the Spaniards.

In it is currently installed the city museum harboring archeological collections from the aboriginal era, along with others informatively associated with the history of Baracoa, the first town or ‘villa’ founded by the conquistadores.