San Juan de Ulua
Vera Cruz's Floating Fortress
Gateway to Mexico's Colorful Past
The Port City of Vera Cruz, Mexico, has long been protected by a massive floating fortress; an island bastion of history and power, a structure built by the early Spanish who came in shining armor on their wooden war vessels to conquer the New World.
More silver and gold have been collected, stored and shipped from Vera Cruz - and the fortress - than any other place on earth.
Actually, Fort San Juan de Ulua was but one of seven forts constructed in the 16th and 17th centuries by the Spanish to protect the wealthy crown city of New Spain. It took nearly 50 years to complete and claimed the lives of thousands of indigenous slaves who labored to make the amazing architecture a realty.
Today, the fort is a favorite tourist attraction and a must-see for the active traveler and historian who wants to spend a little time stepping into the Mexico's colorful past.
The unique structure actually sits on an island just off the coast of Vera Cruz, connected to the mainland by a walk bridge that leads to a rear gate of the fort.
A walk through the historic Spanish fort leaves the traveler with a real sense of history.
The floating fortress has been a fort, a storage and shipping facility for gold and silver (the Fort Knox of New Spain), a prison and the Crown palace of New Spain. It has been attacked by thousands of pirates, the English, French, Mexican and American navies. It has housed heads of state, Mexican-American War prisoners, slaves and soldiers.
Vera Cruz itself is the shinning city of colonial history in the New World. Founded by the Spanish and coveted by the rest of the world, Vera Cruz was the perfect port where conquistadors could strip the New World of its treasures and wealth.
The City and its famous fort were attacked in 1683 by Dutch pirate Laurenz de Graaf, or "Lorencillo", who successfully sacked the city and robbed it of its wealth in just a few days time. Sixty years earlier, another Dutch pirate, Piet Heyn, successful attached the floating gold armada and made away with over 90 tons of pure gold and silver.
You won't want to take in the sites of Vera Cruz or Fort San Juan de Ulua without a good camera and plenty of film. And if you have the time, the nearby sites of El Tijin and Catemaco offer great adventure opportunities.
An added bonus to a scheduled Vera Cruz visit is that it's still cheaper to stay in comfort here than in most Mexican tourist destinations. The food is great, the culture and history are rich, and the price is right, a great combination for the avid adventure travelers. Grab the backpack and head for the border!
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