Torre de Padron
Torre del Padron, Estepona
This tower is now a feature within the gardens of the Kempinski Resort Hotel, east of Estepona by the Rió Padrón at km 160. There is public acces to see the watchtower.
Before the hotel was built in 1998 there stood an old abandoned Guardia Civil Barracks which had been built onto the tower itself using it to form one of the main corners of the building. A ladder was still in place leading from the barracks to the tower's high opening, showing it must have served its purpose as a lookout spot right till the end. An abandoned television aerial pointed uselessly towards the sky - one application of the tower that its builders could not have.
Adjacent to the tower were found remains of a small Roman settlement during the construction of the hotel which were reported to lack significance and therefore not preserved.
It is thought the Torre de Padron was built in 1575 as protection from Barbary pirates based in North Africa.