Torre de la Peña, Fortified tower in Tarifa, Spain.

The Torre de la Peña, also called Torre de la Roca del Ciervo, is a watchtower on a 25-metre rock in the Sierra de la Plata foothills. Its rectangular masonry walls, about one metre thick, enclose a single room with a trapdoor in the ceiling leading to a crenellated terrace with arrow slits and a one-metre parapet. The tower reaches a maximum height of 5.5 metres, and its door sits at ground level facing the Atlantic.

The tower's construction date is unknown. It belonged to the Strait of Gibraltar watch system of the 16th and 17th centuries, but its type, above all its ground-level entrance, suggests a medieval, possibly Islamic, build; some authors date it to the 13th or 14th century. It lost its defensive role in the 19th century and was abandoned. Since 1985 it is listed as a Bien de Interés Cultural.

The tower takes its name from its location on Peña del Ciervo, derived from the Arabic Hajrat al-ayal meaning Deer's Rock. This naming reflects the long Arabic influence in the region's history.

Access to the tower is gained via an approximately 85-step stairway at ground level, unlike many other coastal towers with elevated entrances. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear and allow extra time for climbing the rocky terrain.

The tower's door sits at ground level and opens toward the Atlantic, unlike other coastal towers of the region, whose entrances are a couple of metres up and face away from the sea. Its single room is reached through that door, and a trapdoor in the ceiling leads to the crenellated terrace.