Torre de la duquesa |
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TORRE DE LA DUQUESA
This historic watchtower is located 800m south-west of 'Castillo de la Duquesa' and is located adjacent to the present A-7 road. It is a square plan tower with only a few metres surviving. The watchtower was competed in 1501 and has been given several names according to cartographic records; Torre del Duque and Torre de la Arroyos Dulces, the former name of Arroyo del Indiana, a steam which runs nearby.
To the west of the tower is one of the few remaining sections of the pre 1970 N-340 coast road on the western Costa del Sol. There is still an old stone single arch bridge and stone ballustrade over the Arroyo del Indiana. An old N-340 road km marker can be seen partly burried in the undergrowth.
The tower was incorporated into a farm-house called Coritjo de la Duquesa and painted white. It served as a restaurant at the old Camping Chullera which closed in 2005. The tower has now been carefully restored at the entrance to the present Camping La Bella Vista.
There have been about 200 watchtowers (Torre Vigia or Torre Atalaya or Torre Almenara) or forts build along the coast of Southern Spain. All with the purpose of looking out for invaders from the South.