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Welcome to Castillo de San Felipe del Morro Declared a World Heritage elite by the United Nations in 1933. El Morro is Puerto Rico's best known fortress. Spanish troops fortified this 'morro'. which means 'promontory', to keep seaborne enemies out of San Juan. Today this dramatic castle welcomes multitudes of arriving cruise ships and aircraft to the bussiest port in the Caribbean. Over two million visitors a year explore theme windswept ramparts and pageways, where the history of 400 years of Spain in Puerto Rico comes alive.
History at a Glance
1519 - Spanish settlers from Caparra found San Juan.
1539 - Construction of the first harbor defenses at El Morro and La Fortaleza authorized by King Carlos V.
1587 - Engineers Juan de Tejada and Juan Bautista Antonelli lay out the main design for El Morro still seen today.
1589 - Governor Diego Menendez begins new construction at El Morro.
1595 - Sir Francis Drake attacks El Morro
unsuccessfully by sea. Gunners from
El Morro shoot a cannonball through the cabin of Drake's flagship. 1598 - George Clifford, Duke of Cumberland, attacks from the land side, the only time El Morro was taken in battle. English forces move into the fortress, but are so weakened by dysentery that the invasion force withdraws after only six weeks.
1625 - The Dutch under the command of Boudewijn Hendricksz attack and take San Juan from the land side. El Morro holds but the city is sacked and burned.
1630 - Governor Enrique Enriquez: de Sotomayor begins construction of the city walls. Work continues until 1678 to encircle the city completely.
1765 - Field Marshall Alejandro O'Reilly and Royal Engineer Tomis O'Daly reform the defenses of San Juan by reorganizing the garrison and making the city a 'Defense of the
First Order".
1843 - First lighthouse in Puerto Rico constructed atop El Morro.
1898 - US Navy warships shell El Morro during a day long bombardment 12 May 1898, damaging the tip of the main battery. Six months later, Puerto Rico becomes US territory by terms of the Treaty of Paris which ends the Spanish -American War.
1908 - Present lighthouse seen atop El Morro built by US Navy.
1942 - Still an active military post when World War 11 breaks out, concrete artillery observation posts and an underground bunker are added to El Morro.
1949 - San Juan National Historic Site is established.
1961 - The US Army moves out of the forts of Old San Juan, and they become the jurisdiction of the US National Park Service, to be preserved solely as museums.
1983 - San Juan National Historic Site declared a World Heritage Site by the
United Nations. 1992 - El Morro's grounds are returned to their historic 18th century appearance as part of Quincentennial restoration when modern roadways and parking lots are removed.