Castillo de La Herradura: a coastal fort built in 1771

Castillo de La Herradura, also known as the Fortín de la Herradura, is a fortification in the town of La Herradura, Granada. It was built in the second half of the 18th century under the reign of Carlos III as a typical fort to defend the coast of the kingdom of Granada. Its original name was 'Batería para 4 cañones de La Herradura', designed by engineer José Crame in 1765 and completed in 1771.

The fort features a rectangular enclosure with a main facade shaped like a horseshoe and semicircular towers. It was built to prevent pirate landings in the Ensenada de la Herradura and to protect the work of local farmers and fishermen. During the War of Independence, the fort was attacked. Later, it was taken by the mayor of Otívar and his guerrillas, who opposed the Napoleonic invasion. It was later occupied by the Cuerpo de Carabineros and then the Guardia Civil until 2002.

The Ayuntamiento de Almuñécar acquired the castle and signed an agreement in 2005 for its restoration for cultural use. Works were carried out between 2007 and 2011. In 2021, the Museo 1562 La Fuerza del Mar opened within the site as an interpretation center for the naval disaster of La Herradura, a shipwreck involving 25 ships carrying 4,000 soldiers for the reinforcement of Orán and Mazlquivir.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons