Castle of Zahara de los Atunes and Palace of Jadraza, Medieval castle in Zahara de los Atunes, Spain
The Castle of Zahara de los Atunes is a medieval fortress on Spain's Atlantic coast featuring defensive walls topped with parapets and two gates opening toward the sea. Towers mark the northwestern and northeastern corners of the complex, creating a structure designed to control both land and water approaches.
The fortress was built in the late 15th century to protect the region's tuna fishing operations and guard against attacks by Barbary pirates raiding the coast. Its location and design reflected the crucial economic importance of the fishery to the local area.
The Palace of Jadraza blended two purposes under one roof: it housed the local nobility while also serving as a processing center for the valuable tuna caught offshore. Walking through the ruins, you can sense how the building adapted to serve both a social and economic role in the community.
The castle ruins are open to visitors and offer views of the Atlantic Ocean while revealing the construction techniques used in medieval fortifications. You can walk through the site and examine the walls and towers from different angles to understand how the defenses were organized.
The site received a fishing license from King Sancho IV of Castile as far back as 1294, making it one of the region's earliest regulated tuna operations. This remarkably early official approval shows how vital the fishery had already become to the crown by the 13th century.
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