Castillo de San Felipe

The Castillo de San Felipe is a coastal fortress in Puerto de la Cruz whose construction began around 1599 and was completed in 1604, built to defend the northern coast of Tenerife from pirate and corsair attacks. With a pentagonal plan and colonial style, it once had three iron cannons, a garrison of about 35 soldiers, and a moat that surrounded the building, now replaced by a walkway. After falling out of military use in the 19th century, it was restored in the late 20th century and reopened in 1993 as a municipal cultural space.