Torre Atalaya del Peñón, Coastal watchtower in Mojácar, Spain.
The Torre Atalaya del Peñón is a coastal watchtower near Mojácar built on raised ground with thick stone walls and wide observation points facing the sea. The structure allowed sentries to monitor maritime traffic and communicate with other towers visible from this position.
The tower was built during a period when Spanish coastal towns faced regular attacks from the sea and created a network of observation posts to warn of danger. These structures still mark the Mediterranean landscape today and show how crucial early detection of threats was for the people living there.
The tower was part of a broad coastal defense system, and people built homes nearby to reach shelter quickly when warnings came. The structure still shapes the coastline today and reminds visitors of times when watching the sea meant staying alert.
The site is reachable by marked trails that lead from Mojácar through the coastal area. Informational signs on the ground explain how the structure was built and what purpose it originally served.
The tower was part of a long chain of watchers stretching along southern Spain's coast, with each post positioned to see the next one. Some of these posts used fire or smoke signals to relay messages across many miles of coastline.
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