The tower shrouded in mystery

On the shores of Playa Perdigal, a short stone’s throw from the waves, lies Atalaya del Perdigal – a tower with a clouded past. While the majority of sources date the structure to the 16th century, some whisper that it was built in the 13th century, making it one of the potential oldest Medieval defense towers along the Spanish coast. However, it is important to note that the actual construction date is not definitively known. Regardless of the century of its construction, this tower stands in a breathtaking location, located at the deepest point of the Gulf of Almeria, with its base nearly submerged in the sea, the wind off the Mediterranean rippling through the air around it.

The tower is in remarkable condition, carefully preserved over the years, but it has been transformed: today, it serves as a surveillance station. It is protected by the Declaration genérica del Decreto de 22 de abril de 1949, the ley 16/1985 sobre el Patrimonio Histórico Español, and is a Bien de interés cultural included in the Catálogo General del Patrimonio Histórico Andaluz. The Junta de Andalucia awarded it a special recognition in 1993. The tower bears the name of the beach on which it sits, but it is not the only point of interest in this area. Just a few steps away lies a grove of tarajes, their trees casting shade over the hillside.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons