Torreón de Cojímar

Habana del Este


Overlooking Cojímar's harbor is an old Spanish fort dating from 1649, a twin of the Torreón de la Chorrera in Vedado. It was the first fortification taken by the British when they attacked Havana from the rear in 1762. Until recently the tower was used by the Cuban coast guard. However, at last visit, a enterprising local was charging CUC$1 to view the dilapidated fortifications, including a sea-facing tower that has bizarrely been turned into a (grubby) toilet.

Next to this tower and framed by a neoclassical archway is a gilded bust of Ernest Hemingway, erected by the residents of Cojímar in 1962.