Predating the city of Cienfuegos by nearly a century, the Castillo de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Jagua, to the west of the mouth of Bahía de Cienfuegos, was designed by José Tontete in 1738 and completed in 1745. At the time it was the third most important fortress in Cuba, after those of Havana and Santiago de Cuba. Built to keep pirates (and the British) out, the castle now shelters a modest museum and boasts a pleasant bayside view.
