El Cobre & Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca

Castillo San Pedro de la Roca and El Cobre

The Castillo San Pedro de la Roca, also known as the Castillo del Morro sits atop a 60m-high headland at the eastern entrance to Santiago de Cuba harbour. Built in 1693 to protect the city from raiding pirates, the Castillo San Pedro de la Roca has three separate trenches, several drawbridges and six different levels each with their own line of defence. Adding to its sheer size, is its labyrinth of interior rooms and corridors.

With the decline of piracy in 1775, La Estrella and La Roca (parts of the fortress) were converted into a prison for political prisoners. In 1997 The Castillo San Pedro de la Roca was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered one of the best preserved and most complete example of Spanish-American military architecture today.

After you have visited the castle, your journey will continue on to El Cobre. Not far from Santiago de Cuba, nestled in lush greenery against the backdrop of the Sierra Maestra Moutains, the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Cobre shines above the El Cobre village with its white towers and copper domes.

By touring inside, you'll see the white marble shrine of La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, meaning "Our Lady of Charity," honored as a Patroness of Cuba in 1916 by Pope Benedict XV. Also inside, is the "Room of Miracles," littered with unimaginable offerings including hair, bicycle inner tybes and metal body parts. Perhaps the most impressive of which is a small golden guerrilla fighter figurine, left by the mother of Fidel Castro to protect her son during his campaign. Ernest Hemingway also donated his Nobel Prize from his nozel, "The Old Man and the Sea," now locked up for safe-keeping. Even today, many visitors still go to the saint and share their worries and woes. 

Discover the historical Castillo San Pedro de la Roca and the spiritual El Cobre for yourself on this unforgettable excursion!

Services:

• Transfer from/to Santiago de Cuba
• Qualified, English-speaking guide
• Lunch
• Entrance