The Spanish were able to see the fort’s influence decline and in 1654, while many of the Buccaneers were at sea or off hunting, they raided the port. The Spanish were rebuffed, but they mounted a second attack later in the year. This time, they knew the strengths and weaknesses of the fortress, and managed to get artillery placed on the hillside above it.
As the Spanish observed the fort’s influence diminish, they seized the opportunity to strike in 1654, when many Buccaneers were away or engaged in hunting expeditions. The Spanish initially failed to capture the port, but they regrouped and launched a second attack, this time leveraging their knowledge of the fortress's strengths and weaknesses to deploy artillery on the hillside.