The fortress of San Sebastián del Pastelillo, on the island of Manga, was constructed where the first fort of Cartagena, known as El Boquerón, was located. Built between 1741 and 1744 under orders of the viceroy, Sebastián de Eslava, it followed the plan of the engineer Juan Bautista Mac Evan and the direction of Carlos Desnaux, also an engineer.
It was named San Sebastián in honor of the viceroy who ordered its construction and Pastelillo for its special shape like a “pie,” since it was controlled by the lighthouses of the city which prevented the enemy from remaining there in case it was seized.
San Sebastián defends the entrance to the Bay of Animas and access to the city from the Island of Manga. It has an irregular base adapted to the land, surrounded by a wall with embrasures, a guard squad, a cistern, a castle warden’s quarters, a warehouse and a pier. It was restored by the architect Juan Manuel Zapatero in 1972 and currently is a restaurant administered by the Club de Pesca.
