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.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Habana del Este attractions

1. Alamar

1.15 MILES

East across the river from Cojímar is a large housing estate of prefabricated apartment blocks built from 1971 by micro brigadas (small armies of workers…

2. Estadio Panamericano

1.55 MILES

Built for the 1991 Pan American Games, this shabby stadium was fitted with a new athletics track in 2008, though it still looks neglected and unloved. It…

3. Convento de Santo Domingo

2.78 MILES

Convento de Santo Domingo is a sadly ruined convent with a handsome but mildewed baroque facade that's usually closed (there are no official hours, but…

4. Iglesia de Guanabacoa

2.96 MILES

This church, in Parque Martí in the center of Guanabacoa, is also known as the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. It was designed by Lorenzo…

5. Museo Municipal de Guanabacoa

3 MILES

Guanabacoa's main museum, like Regla's, is an important shrine to Santería, though you'll need to see past the run-down facilities and impassive 'guides'…

6. Museo de Mártires

3.15 MILES

Effectively an arm of Guanabacoa’s municipal museum, this tiny place on the road to Regla displays a scruffy selection of material relevant to the…

7. Observatorio Nacional

3.47 MILES

Havana's distinctive national observatory sits on a hill above the Casablanca neighborhood on the eastern side of the harbor.

8. Ermita de Potosí

3.54 MILES

Inexplicably, barely anyone visits this, the oldest church in Cuba, still standing in its original perch. The structure dates from around 1675 and is a…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "cuba/playas-del-este/attractions/torreon-de-cojimar/a/poi-sig/370337/358023",
      "destination": "Habana-del-Este",
      "continent": "Caribbean",
      "country": "Cuba",
      "city": "Havana",
      "neighborhood": "Habana-del-Este",
      "position": "superzone"
    }