Torreón de Santa Dorotea de la Chorrera

One of a number of small battlements that once guarded Habana from pirates and warships, this small two-story tower at the mouth of Río Almendares contained sentry posts, artillery emplacements, storage rooms and a military barracks. Records indicate that it rarely housed more than 100 troops. The tower was designed by Italian engineer Juan Bautista Antonelli – who also designed a similar tower in Cojímar, east of town – and was completed during the administration of Álvaro de Luna y Sarmiento. In 1762 the tower was taken by the British prior to their attack on the Castillo de los Tres Santos Reyes Magnos del Morro. Today it houses a small restaurant, Mesón la Chorrera.