Torre Lance de las Cañas, Marbella
Torre Ladrón - in the sand dunes of Artola, a square tower near Cabopino marina.
Coastal Watchtowers
About 200 watchtowers or forts have been built along the coast of Southern Spain, whether by Islamic or Christian forces, to look out for invaders arriving from across the sea. Some of the watchtowers seen today have Moorish origins, mainly constructed by the Nasrid dynasty of Granada after 1250. However most of them were constructed (or reconstructed) in around 1575, as part of the major coastal defence programme of King Felipe II.
After 1518, attacks increased by Barbary pirates, (also known as Barbary corsairs, or Ottoman corsairs) based in North Africa and acting on behalf of the Ottoman Sultan. Initially the pirate raids concentrated on shipping, but later escalated to territorial incursions. They were slave-hunters, and their methods were ferocious, capturing young people for the Ottoman slave trade.
Over half of the towers constructed have lasted to the present day; due to their remarkably solid construction and also due to being occupied, and therefore maintained, right up to the middle of the 20th century. Estepona alone has seven watchtowers, and there are a total of 41 in Malaga province
There are about 10 different architectural construction types. The towers that are Moorish can be identified by their shape: rectangular or cylindrical with vertical walls; the majority, which are are slightly conical in shape, are from the later, 16th- century Christian era.
The Six Watchtowers of the Marbella Coastline
Main sites and things to see and do in Marbella
Opening Hours
On public land, ourside can be viewed.
Location
Torre Ladrón
