Fortaleza Real Felipe
Commissioned in 1747 to defend Lima against pirate attacks, this hulking citadel was once the largest Spanish military installation in the Americas and played a decisive role in Peru's turbulent history. During South America's wars of independence, its firepower was such that it forced the liberator José de San Martín to scuttle his plan for a sea invasion of Lima in favor of a land attack; later, in 1866, it was used by newly independent Peru to repel a Spanish flotilla bent on reconquering the former colony. Today the fortress continues to be one of Lima's most darkly imposing sights. Visitors can walk the ramparts and look out over the harbors of El Callao, or climb the Torreones del Rey y de la Reina, twin towers that became torture chambers for the prisoners shackled there. If you're a fan of the paranormal, the nighttime tours here are genuinely creepy.
