Castle · San Juan, Puerto Rico
Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Castillo San Felipe del Morro, most commonly known as El Morro, is a large fortress and citadel in the Old San Juan historic quarter of San Juan, the capital city and municipality of Puerto Rico. Built 1539–1787.
Photo: Godot13 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
|---|---|
| Type | Castle |
| Built | 1539–1787 |
| Coordinates | 18.4708° N, 66.1242° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Castillo San Felipe del Morro is known for
Castillo San Felipe del Morro, most commonly known as El Morro, is a large fortress and citadel in the Old San Juan historic quarter of San Juan, the capital city and municipality of Puerto Rico.
About Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Castillo San Felipe del Morro, most commonly known as El Morro, is a large fortress and citadel in the Old San Juan historic quarter of San Juan, the capital city and municipality of Puerto Rico. Commissioned by King Charles I of Spain in 1539, it was first built as a fortified tower in honor of King Philip II, who oversaw its expansion into a hornwork bastion fort by 1595. Over the next 200 years, especially in the reign of King Charles III, El Morro continued to be developed to reach its current form in 1787. It was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983.
History
Upon the advice of Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, a battery was constructed on the rocky promontory called 'the Morro', when the location of La Fortaleza was deemed unsuitable. By 1555, Morro had 8 bronze cannons, as a defense against French privateers. In 1595, Englishman Sir Francis Drake unsuccessfully attacked San Juan with his fleet in the Battle of San Juan (1595). El Morro's last active fight occurred during a naval bombardment by the United States Navy during the 1898 Spanish–American War, ending the age of naval warfare in the Caribbean, at least in the classical sense.
Planning a visit? Visit the official San Juan National Historic Site website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | San Juan |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (SIG) |
| Distance from the airport | 1.9 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) · San Juan, Puerto Rico · 8.3 miles away
- Cyril E. King Airport (STT) · Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands · 75.8 miles away
- Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) · Beef Island, British Virgin Islands · 103.7 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Puerto Rico
More castles
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Frequently asked questions
What is Castillo San Felipe del Morro?
Castillo San Felipe del Morro, most commonly known as El Morro, is a large fortress and citadel in the Old San Juan historic quarter of San Juan, the capital city and municipality of Puerto Rico.
Where is Castillo San Felipe del Morro located?
Castillo San Felipe del Morro is in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Its coordinates are 18.4708° N, 66.1242° W.
How do I get to Castillo San Felipe del Morro?
The nearest town is San Juan, and the nearest airport is Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (SIG), about 1.9 miles away (straight line).
When was Castillo San Felipe del Morro built?
Castillo San Felipe del Morro was built 1539–1787.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo_San_Felipe_del_Morro — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q550502 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.nps.gov/saju — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.