Torre de Ca n'Espatleta, 16th-century watchtower in Santa Eulària des Riu, Spain
Torre de Ca n'Espatleta is a watchtower on Ibiza with thick stone walls and a circular base built to watch the sea. Inside, a narrow spiral staircase climbs up to a viewing platform where guards could spot approaching ships and danger from afar.
The tower was built in the 1500s as part of a defense system against pirates from North Africa who threatened Ibiza's coasts. Documented since 1533, it served generations of lookouts as a watch station for approaching danger from the sea.
The structure represents a testament to Mediterranean defensive architecture and stands as a protected cultural heritage site in the Balearic Islands.
The ruin sits by the sea and is easy to reach on foot when you follow paths from Santa Eulària des Riu. Wear good shoes because the way goes across rocky ground, and the tower itself is partly crumbling in places.
The tower stands on high ground that overlooks the small island of Tagomago, which gave watchers a big advantage. This location let them follow movements on the sea in many directions all at once.
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