Valdivian Fort System

About

After Pedro Álvarez de Toledo y Leiva, Marquis of Mancera, received word that the Dutch were trying to establish a foothold in the ruins of Valdivian, he ordered the construction of the Valdivian Fort System to guard Spanish interests in southern Chile. His hunch proved right as Valdivia became the “Key to the South Sea” and an important resupply station for ships crossing the Straits of Magellan. Between the 17th and 18th centuries the fort system was expanded into one of the largest in the Americas with some 17 bastions around Corral Bay. Despite centuries of suspicions towards outside powers, it was Chilean patriots in the War for Independence that captured the “Gibraltar of the Pacific” with a surprise overland assault. As it was when the forts were in use, Corral Fort is still the centerpiece of this Tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site, offering not just canon-studded views across the bay and, if you’re lucky, military reenactments.