La Cabaña Fortress Havana Cuba

La Cabaña fortress is located on the east side of the Havana Bay near the harbor mouth. Center point of the Spanish colonies dominance was La Cabaña a mighty structure built to dissuade pirates. Imposing with its 18th century walls, it was built at the same time as El Morro. Even today, nightly at 9 p.m., soldiers dressed in suits of the epoch shoot from her the “el cañonazo de las nueve”, (gunshot at nine). This is popular tourist attraction for visitors to Havana who can watch the precession and act of firing the cannons. Historically this signaled to residents of the citadel the closing of the gates of the wall that surrounded the city, leaving residents to fend for themselves if not back in time.