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The guard tower was built in 1577 during the reign of Felipe II to defend against the attacks of Turks and Berber pirates that attacked and plundered the village on many occasions. It was situated in the river estuary to guard the river port access and to impede enemy ships. In 1864 a flood diverted the course of the river more to the north, up until this point the tower formed part of an extensive network of lookout towers along the Mediterranean seaboard.
The tower is shaped like a truncated cone, crowned by castellations, with access through a small pointed arch doorway (set with a commemorative stone). The tower is comprised of three floors connected by a spiral staircase . There were stables in the ground floor, living quarters in the first floor and a gunpowder store on the second floor. By the 18th century a six-pound calibre iron cannon was installed on the roof terrace!
Surprisingly, there was a 1€ entrance fee (I had my doubts about the takings covering the covering the salary of the woman who took my money.
The camcorder icons on the diagram (left) indicate points at which I made video clips. Apologies for the gloom inside. The clips are in AVI format and will play of RealPlayer. A DSL or ADSL connection is recommended.
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