Havana Bay

Havana Bay is a deep, sheltered harbor on Cuba’s northern coast, entered through a narrow channel guarded by the fortresses of El Morro and La Punta. Its spacious inner waters made Havana a gathering place for the Spanish fleets carrying American goods across the Atlantic.

As the fleet system developed in the sixteenth century, the harbor became one of the most important in the Spanish Caribbean and its maritime trade. Fortifications rose around its entrance and shores, and a royal dockyard built ships for the Crown. In 1762 a British force besieged Havana and captured El Morro, opening the way to the city. Spain regained the port under the peace settlement of 1763 and strengthened its defenses with the great fortress of La Cabaña.