CASTILLO SAN FELIPE DE BARAJAS

Welcome to the largest Spanish fortress in the New World! Built between 1536 and 1657, this fortification is a veritable period bunker designed to defend the coveted Cartagena. As a meeting place for pirates and enemies of the Spanish Crown, the colonial city decided, in the very first decades of its existence, to set up a system of defense against threats. After fortifying Cartagena's primitive core and the suburb of Getsemaní, it was deemed necessary to place a structure on the hill of San Lázaro that would prevent an enemy attack from its summit. After the Battle of Vernón in 1741, the fortress was perfected by Antonio de Arebalo. Seven batteries were installed, linked together by a labyrinth of ramps, tiny drawbridges, turrets, sentry boxes, cul-de-sacs and underground galleries. The story goes that the huge blocks of stone were quarried from the coral reefs of the surrounding coastline and transported up the hill by slaves: a reminder of the incessant business surrounding the slave trade. The builders also designed the castle with various defensive systems to ensure its impenetrability. For example, the castle walls were not built perpendicular to the ground, but inclined inwards, so that enemy cannonballs could ricochet off the castle without causing major damage to the edifice. Finally, you'll also learn that the castle's strategically positioned cannons had the entire bay in their sights, so that any suspicious ship could be shot down without causing major damage to the building.An interesting stroll, especially with a guide who will take us back to those bellicose times.