Mexico's military heritage spans five centuries of colonial defense, independence war, foreign invasion, and Revolution — from the Fuerte de San Juan de Ulúa in Veracruz, built in 1535 and used as a prison for Benito Juárez, to the decommissioned Revolution-era barracks in provincial cities and the specific 20th-century military infrastructure of a country that maintained its armed forces far from any external threat. San Juan de Ulúa is a large complex of fortresses, prisons, and one former palace on an island in the Gulf of Mexico overlooking Veracruz. Built between 1535 and 1769, the fortress was ultimately closed when it was no longer required for the defense of Mexico. After several years of decay, renovations were begun in the late 20th century. Discover the 5 best abandoned military places in Mexico, selected from our Mexico Urbex Map — 500+ verified GPS locations.
Why Mexico Has a Remarkable Derelict Military Heritage
Mexico's military abandonment reflects five distinct historical layers — Spanish colonial coastal defense, the wars of independence, the French Intervention of the 1860s, the Revolution of 1910–1920, and the Cold War-era modernization that decommissioned 19th and early 20th-century military infrastructure. Each left a different typology of abandoned military building, from coral-stone colonial bastions to Revolution-era adobe barracks.
1. Fuerte de San Juan de Ulúa – Veracruz — Built 1535, Prison for Benito Juárez, Last Spanish Stronghold in Mexico 1825, Francis Drake Attack 1568, Now Museum (Known Location)
San Juan de Ulúa is a large complex of fortresses, prisons, and a former palace on a Gulf of Mexico island overlooking Veracruz. Built between 1535 and 1769. In 1568 it witnessed the Battle of San Juan de Ulúa against English privateers led by Francis Drake. It served as the last Spanish refuge during Mexico's War of Independence until 1825. During the Porfirio Díaz era it was used as a high-security prison; notable prisoners included Benito Juárez. The former presidential palace within the complex suffered severe decay and is still undergoing renovations. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–16:30. Small admission fee. Access by boat from the Veracruz malecon. A portion remains derelict under ongoing renovation.
🔗 Sources: Wikipedia – San Juan de Ulúa | INAH – Museo Fuerte de San Juan de Ulúa
2. Fuerte de Loreto – Puebla — Site of the Battle of Puebla (May 5, 1862), French Intervention Heritage, INAH-Listed, Partially Restored Museum (Known Location)
The Fuerte de Loreto on the Cerro de Guadalupe north of Puebla city is where Mexican forces under General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French Intervention army on May 5, 1862 — the Cinco de Mayo victory that became the defining moment of Mexican national resistance to foreign invasion. The fort and its adjacent Fuerte de Guadalupe retain their 19th-century military architecture — earthworks, cannon emplacements, soldiers' quarters — in various states of restoration and productive dereliction. The INAH-administered museum within the fort is partially open; several sections remain in authentic derelict states.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Abandoned Places in Mexico →
3. Abandoned Barracks – Provincial Capital, Mexico — Revolution-Era Military Barracks, Adobe and Stone Construction, Decommissioned Since 1970s–80s, Walled Compound
In several provincial Mexican cities — particularly in central and southern states — Revolution-era military barracks (cuarteles) built in the 1910s–1920s have been progressively decommissioned as the Mexican Army's infrastructure was modernized and centralized. Several of these barracks — walled compounds with single-storey adobe and stone barracks blocks arranged around a central parade ground — stand in various states of dereliction or contested institutional use, their adobe construction returning to the earth at a rate that makes them among the most temporally fragile derelict buildings in Mexico. Mapped exclusively in our Mexico Urbex Map.
4. Decommissioned Coastal Artillery Battery – Pacific or Gulf Coast — WWII-Era Concrete Emplacements, Sea-Facing Positions, Clifftop or Headland Setting (Our Map Only)
Mexico maintained coastal artillery defenses during WWII — concrete gun emplacements and observation posts built on Pacific and Gulf coast headlands to defend against the theoretical threat of Japanese or German naval attack. Several of these WWII-era coastal batteries have been decommissioned and abandoned on the clifftops they were built to defend: reinforced concrete weather-worn by decades of sea air, their gun platforms still visible and their view of the coastline unchanged. The combination of WWII military archaeology and Mexico's extraordinary coastal landscape creates a uniquely atmospheric military dereliction experience. GPS in our Mexico Urbex Map. Find it on our Mexico Urbex Map.
5. French Intervention Military Post – Central Mexico — 1860s French Occupation Infrastructure, Stone Construction, INAH-Adjacent Heritage Zone, Walled Compound (Hidden on Our Map)
The French Intervention of 1861–1867 left a specific military heritage across central Mexico — the occupation infrastructure of the French Expeditionary Corps and the short-lived Second Mexican Empire under Maximilian I. Several small French military posts and gendarmerie buildings from this period — stone-built compounds with characteristic European military construction details — survive in various states of dereliction in the towns and villages of Puebla, Hidalgo, and Veracruz states, largely unknown to the international heritage community. The combination of French military architecture, Mexican colonial context, and the specific 1860s historical layer creates a derelict military experience unavailable elsewhere in North America. Find it on our Mexico Urbex Map. Mapped exclusively in our Mexico Urbex Map.
Safety Tips
- Active military zones: Mexico's active military installations are off-limits and patrolled — never approach any building with military markings regardless of its apparent state of disuse
- San Juan de Ulúa boat: the boat from the Veracruz malecon can be choppy in northern wind (nortes) conditions — check weather before crossing
- Adobe structures: Revolution-era adobe barracks can collapse without warning after rain — never enter an adobe building with visible wall cracking or leaning
- Never explore alone — always bring at least one other person and share your location
❓ FAQ
What is the most famous abandoned military site in Mexico?
The Fuerte de San Juan de Ulúa in Veracruz — built in 1535, the site of Francis Drake's 1568 pirate attack, the last Spanish stronghold in Mexico until 1825, and the high-security prison of the Porfirio Díaz era where Benito Juárez was held. Now a museum accessible by boat from the Veracruz malecon; Tuesday to Sunday, small admission fee. A portion of the former presidential palace within the complex remains in authentic derelict states pending ongoing renovation.
What is Cinco de Mayo about militarily?
On May 5, 1862, Mexican forces under General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French Expeditionary Corps at the Battle of Puebla — a strategically secondary but symbolically decisive victory that boosted Mexican national morale during the French Intervention. The Fuerte de Loreto on the Cerro de Guadalupe north of Puebla city was the Mexican position in the battle; it retains its 19th-century military architecture alongside an INAH museum.
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