Baracoa also retains clear evidence of a strong system of colonial forts that defended the city from corsairs and pirates. The Matachin Fortress which is now the municipal museum, The La Punta Fortress built to protect part of the bay, The Spanish built Santa Barbara Seboruco Castle, now known as the Hotel El Castillo, and the Towers of Joa and Caguase.

We must not forget the church in which the Cruz de la Parra was placed, the first symbol of Christianity brought to island by Christopher Columbus on his voyage of discovery to the New World which was blessed by Pope John Paul II during his visit to that city in January 1998. The Cruz de la Parra is now a national monument of Cuba.