Castle of San Felipe de Lara

This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on September 23, 2002 in the Cultural category.[4] The fort is under the administrative care of the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism (INGUAT – Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo).[5] It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Río Dulce National Park.[6] A significant increase in the number of visiting tourists was recorded in the period 2001–2003, over 90% of whom were Guatemalans.[7] The figures for these period show a jump from 45,652 tourists in 2001 to just over 156,000 visitors in 2003.[8]

The fort was badly damaged by an earthquake on 11 July 1999, suffering a number of cracks in its walls.[5] The river water around the fort has been found to be heavily contaminated with coliform bacteria resulting from local pollution.[8]

San Felipe had continuous occupation from the Mesoamerican Middle Preclassic period (c.1000–400 BC) and was still inhabited when the Spanish first arrived in the region in the mid 16th century.[9]

Castillo de San Felipe, Rio Dulce, Guatemala

The Castillo de San Felipe was built to protect the port of San Antonio de las Bodegas on the south shore of Lake Izabal from frequent pirate attacks,[10] mostly by English pirates.[2] After nightfall, passage along the river into the lake was blocked by a large chain that crossed from the fort to the far bank.[2] San Antonio was the main port for receiving Spanish shipping carrying goods for the Captaincy General of Guatemala and was responsible for supplying and garrisoning the fort.[11] Guatemalan records contain details of captains being appointed to the fort well into the 18th century. The position was a joint post, also including the position of mayor of San Pedro de Amatique and San Antonio de las Bodegas. The latter post was in name only, since the towns were soon abandoned due to constant slave raids by the Mosquito Zambo that left the Motagua delta and shores of Lake Izabal largely deserted, with those inhabitants that did not flee being sold into slavery in the British colony of Jamaica. A census taken in October 1776 recorded 122 inhabitants of San Felipe, all of whom were either Spanish or mixed race.[12] In 1797 the garrison numbered 36 infantry.[5]

The fort consists of a semicircular bastion enclosed behind two converging outer walls, each terminating in a roughly square tower. The fort has three storeys. The land approach to the fort was protected by a moat with drawbridge.[13]