The imposing yet majestic San Carlos de la Cabana Fortress, also known more commonly as simply La Cabana, with a rich history dating back to the turbulent 18th century, is a monolithic structure standing tall on the eastern side of Havana's harbor entrance. Construction of La Cabana was started in 1763 by the graceful Carlos III, King of Spain, the ruling power of colonial Cuba, following the temporary siege of Havana by Britan during the century.

This fortress served as both a base of military operations and as a maximum security prison for over two hundred years. In fact Ernesto Che Guevara, the most famous Cuban revolutionary of all time, established his headquarters here for several months while maintaining leadership of the Cuban revolution during the year of 1959. Since then, the structure has been converted to a historic park and contains numerous museums of weaponry and history that are open to both the public and Cuban tourists.