Located on the southern coast of La Isleta, the Castillo de la Luz (Castle of Light) defended the natural harbour of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for several centuries. Built in 1494 on top of the foundations of an existing fort from the time of the conquest by the Castilians, this solid square-shaped fortress, which was equipped with a platform for 11 cannons, nevertheless suffered severe damages during the invasion of Dutch pirates in 1599 when it was more or less burned to the ground.
Since then the two-storey building has been rebuilt, extended and improved. Indeed, in 1941 the Castillo de la Luz was declared a national historic monument. This well-preserved fortress was further restored in 1998 and serves today as a cultural and exhibition centre for national and international events.
