The Castle of San Felipe de Lara is a National Historic Monument located amid the vegetation of the banks of the Dulce River, built by the Spanish to protect themselves from the continuous attacks of the English pirates that lurked in the Caribbean. The castle was built in the mid-seventeenth century with palm-leaf roofs that were set on fire by pirates in 1686, destroying it completely. Later, it was formally rebuilt under the direction of Andrés Ortiz de Urbina.

This defensive fortress, in addition to fulfilling the function of a military center, functioned as a prison and customs center. It is currently one of the most important tourist sites in the area, offering guide service, and is also part of a castles’ corridor in the Atlantic coast.

To get to the castle, you must take the CA-9 North road. Follow the road until you reach Río Dulce, then go over the Río Dulce bridge, and follow the tourist signs to the Castillo de San Felipe, for about 15 minutes. The road is in good condition all the time.