Garita or Sentry Box
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Soldiers used sentry boxes located in strategic salient points on the fort and city walls to watch for enemy approaches.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, military engineers considered "garitas" absolutely indispensable.
The long slit openings inside the garitas enabled sentries to observe different angles of possible approaches while protecting them from being shot.
At the entrance where the walls are at their lowest, the sentry could shoot enemies trying to climb the walls.
Each garita is a one-of-a-kind structure, revealing details of the era in which it was constructed.
Today, the garita has become the visual symbol of Old San Juan and Puerto Rico.