Arrecife Car Hire - Puente de las Bolas y Castillo de San Gabriel

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These landmarks are located near the end of the Calle Leon y Castillo, on the largest islet on the capital’s coastline. It holds the Muelle de Arrecife, the Puente de Las Bolas and the Castillo de San Gabriel. The castle is one of the most emblematic monuments of Arrecife. This historic-artistic site is thoroughly integrated with the ocean. The castle, a vestige of the past, has been conserved in excellent condition. It was built in 1571 by the military architect Gaspar de Salcedo to defend the Port of Arrecife from pirate attacks. It was put into service in 1576, but ten years later the Algerian pirate Morato Arraez captured the fort and burned its wooden structure. In 1666 it was rebuilt, and was henceforth referred to as Castillo de San Gabriel. In 1777, the Puente de Las Bolas was built, thus giving the complex the aspect that we know today. In 1972 it was inaugurated as an archaeological museum after the Arrecife town council bought it from the Army.