Brief visit at night. Brilliant! Disliked the lack of security. Liked the views and the closeness to a raging coastline. Santo Domingo is a city that has a reputation for being unsafe however, by taking basic precautions, i found it acceptable.
Small, but worth seeing and close to the historic center. We have visited lots of castles in Europe and seeing the construction of this edifice, you can really see its Old World roots. Not fancy, but utilitarian.
The place is ok, but there is no information on what it was! No headset delivered at the entrance. You can hire an expensive guide if you want Great view on the sea, but not on the other riverside as there you will see a huge factory with huge silo's.
At only a $2 entrance fee, it was well worth it. The fort is small and bare, but the top tower gives some great views and we enjoyed walking through it.
The fort has a lot of history going back when Columbus and the Spainards took root to the island. I loved looking and admiring the old cannons and the layout of the fort, just reliving history.
I hired a personal tour guide because I wanted my homeschooled 8 year old son to know and understand the history thoroughly, and to do a report on it as well. The tour guide, who was not expensive - US$6, did an excellent job. My son was fascinated by the rich information received. If you have knee problem, you may have difficulty going all the way up the fort. The steps to go up are very steep.
So the fort itself is impressive and old and doesn't disappoint as being a piece of living history, however I hope you are an expert in early colonial forts or else you will not have a clue what anything is. There are no information plaques anywhere in any language, it is just a big old building and that is it.
Wow, this is a fantastic place if you enjoy history of the New World.This is the oldest military buildings standing in the Caribbean. The Torre del Homenaje is also near.
Good example of colonial architecture. If you're a fan of History and want to check out a place both historical and interesting, you might enjoy this.
How they were ever able to haul such massive blocks of stone to contstruct this fortress is an amazing feat to consider. The fort is incredible and a must to anyone wanting to get a good look at the beginnings of the new world.