Castelo de Santa Cruz is a 17th-century stone fortress located on a rocky hill at 73 meters elevation in La Guardia, Pontevedra province, Galicia. Built rapidly by Spanish forces around 1664 during the Portuguese Restoration War to block Portuguese advancement, the fortress features a distinctive trapezoidal design with a surrounding moat and four bastions at its vertices. The castle was captured and occupied by Portuguese forces in 1665 following an eight-day siege. Today, the strategically positioned stronghold offers panoramic views over the Miño River—the natural border between Spain and Portugal—and the nearby Atlantic coast, reflecting its role in controlling this vital frontier passage.
