Torre des Garroveret, Defense watchtower at Cap de Barbaria, Formentera, Spain.
Torre des Garroveret is a stone watchtower with a circular base that sits on limestone cliffs at the southern edge of Formentera. The structure commands views across the Mediterranean toward the African coast.
The tower was built in 1763 as part of a network designed to defend against pirate raids threatening coastal settlements. It was one of several structures positioned across Formentera and Ibiza that worked together to monitor the seas.
The tower represents how Spanish maritime communities organized their coastal defense and protected trade routes from the sea. It stands as a reminder of the dangers that once threatened Mediterranean settlements.
The tower can be reached by walking a marked path of roughly 300 meters east from Cap de Barbaria lighthouse through native coastal vegetation. Sturdy footwear is recommended since the route crosses rocky terrain and conditions vary with weather.
The tower was one of the southernmost lookout points in the Balearic Islands and used fire and smoke signals to relay warnings across great distances. These simple communication methods connected distant islands into an effective early warning system against attackers.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
