El Morillo Castle

El Morillo Castle, locally known as Castillo del Morillo, is situated several kilometers east of the town of Matanzas in Cuba. On the opposite side of the bay lies San Severino Castle.

El Morillo Castle is a small fort built in 1720 at the mouth of the Canímar river to defend the area against pirate attacks. Between 1776 and 1807 it was rebuilt.

The present appearance of El Morillo Castle dates back to 1830.

In 1935, two Cuban heroes; Antonio Guiteras Holmes and Carlos Aponte Hernández, were caught and executed in the vicinity of the nearby bridge over the Canímar river when they came here to find a boat that could take them to Mexico.

The fort now houses a small museum partly dedicated to Guiteras and Aponte and to aboriginal archaeology of the surrounding area. It can be visited for a small fee. The museum is run by two nice Cuban ladies. They lead you around the museum and although they speak nothing but Spanish they are very entertaining!

So, not a very large nor spectacular fort but worth a visit.

Gallery