San Felipe Fortress

[tcworld]

We would like to tour the San Felipe Fortress. Are taxi drivers also tour guides or would we be on our own at the fortress?

[globalwife]

Some drivers can serve as a guide but that probably isn't the best way to do it. Once you enter the fort there will be an option to have a guide go with you for an extra fee. You can even get one that is English speaking. Also, you don't have to have a guide. I know when we went, we did it without a guide but we were short on time.

[Putterdude]

Some drivers can serve as a guide but that probably isn't the best way to do it. quote]

 

I agree, as I recall there really wasn't much in the way of parking for a taxi...or even a tour bus for that matter. You are going to find it hot and humid and a fair hike up in the fortress so the last thing you want is a lot of extra walking from where a cab might park.

[aussiegirl]

To get the most out of your visit to the Fortress, I would recommend having a guide. I noticed on our visit in April a lack of signage there, so without a guide you won't know what you are looking at and its significance. (We had a guide that we had hired in advance of our visit for a day tour of the city.)

[rjscott]

I agree with Aussiegirl. We did the tour of the fortress as part of an city and fortress excursion and there is quite a lot to see at the fortress. You will miss out on a lot of the historical significance and may also miss going into some of the parts of the fortress without a guide. We often do our tours independently, but I thought the tour we took thru the ship was both reasonably priced and well-done. It was one of the few tours offered that actually did a tour of the fort, not just a photo op. We then also had a city tour that included a stop at Las Bovedas, the Inquisition Palace, a church, a stop for a beverage and folkloric dancing (included in the price of our tour), and a couple of stops for shopping (not overly long stops).