In 1746, an earthquake caused a tidal wave which destroyed the entire port.
An historical military fortress, the Castillo de Real Felipe, still stands on the promontory. There is also a large naval base in Callao, in which the leader of Sendero Luminoso rebel movement, Abimael Guzman, and Vladimiro Montesinos, the ex-director of internal security during the Fujimori regime are imprisoned.
Callao, although contiguous with urban Lima, is a separate department within the province of Lima.