Military
La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico preserves the historic defensive system that protected San Juan and its bay, one of the Caribbean’s most strategic colonial ports. Built by the Spanish Empire from the 16th through 20th centuries, it combines military importance with Renaissance and Baroque fortification design adapted to the Americas. The site includes La Fortaleza, begun in 1533 and later used as the governor’s official residence, and the major defenses around Old San Juan, including El Morro, San Cristóbal, El Cañuelo, the city walls, and later Las Palmas Bastion. Together they form one of the oldest and largest European-built defensive systems in the Western Hemisphere.
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