Castillo de San Felipe
Encyclopedia
The Castillo de San Felipe de Lara is a Spanish colonial
fort located at the entrance to Lake Izabal
in eastern Guatemala
. Lake Izabal is connected with the Caribbean Sea
via the Dulce River
and El Golfete
lake. King Philip II of Spain ordered the fort to be erected in an attempt to reduce pirate activity in the area.
This site was added to the UNESCO
World Heritage Tentative List on September 23, 2002 in the Cultural category.
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
fort located at the entrance to Lake Izabal
Lake Izabal
Lago de Izabal, also known as the Golfo Dulce, is the largest lake in Guatemala with a surface area of 589.6 km² and a maximum depth is 18 meters . The Polochic River is the largest river that drains into the lake...
in eastern Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. Lake Izabal is connected with the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
via the Dulce River
Dulce River
Río Dulce is a river in Guatemala, completely contained within the department of Izabal. It is part of a lake and river system that has become a popular cruising sailboat destination....
and El Golfete
El Golfete
El Golfete is a long narrow lake in Guatemala. It lies at sea level and is connected by the Dulce River from Lake Izabal draining to the Amatique Bay which is lies in the Caribbean Sea....
lake. King Philip II of Spain ordered the fort to be erected in an attempt to reduce pirate activity in the area.
This site was added to the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Tentative List on September 23, 2002 in the Cultural category.