Castillo San Felipe. [Saint Philip’s Castle]

On a site next to Playa Jardin, this is a colonial-type fort built in the XVIIth Century to defend the Old Harbour from corsairs and pirates. It is one of the four forts which formerly defended the town. The fortress represents the town’s most important defensive bastion, built in the middle of the XVIIth Century to protect the ships seeking refuge in the harbour. It is sited at the mouth of the San Felipe barranco, about 900 metres from the town centre. Work commenced in 1641 and finished in 1655. It is shaped like an irregular pentagon with a masonry parapet. As well as a defence work , in the course of its history it has been a hospital, infirmary, store, citadel, gun club and a restaurant. In the 1990s it was restored by the Council and turned into a Municipal Cultural Centre, a wonderful setting for concerts and art exhibitions. 50 metres from the Castle stands the old Polvorín [powder house].