Torre Umbría

The Torre Umbría, also known as Torre de Punta Umbría, is a coastal watchtower situated in the municipality of Punta Umbría, in the province of Huelva. It belonged to the old network of coastal watchtowers spread across the south of the Spanish coast. Together with the Torre de la Arenilla, it was responsible for the defense of the fluvial entrance to the Ría de Huelva. Today, it is a Bien de Interés Cultural and is protected as historical heritage. It appears on the coat of arms of Punta Umbría, created by the painter Pedro Gil Mazo.

The tower was built at the beginning of the 17th century and was completed in 1614, as evidenced by a marble plaque. In 1963, Punta Umbría obtained the segregation from the municipality of Cartaya and its own town hall. During this time, the municipality received rural and urbanizable land to build the urban core. These lands were registered in the Property Registry in 1966, and the location of the tower was included in a registration made by the State.

In 2003, on the 60th anniversary of Punta Umbría as an independent municipality, the tower was opened to the public as an interpretation center after being restored. It remains open to the public today as an interpretation center.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons