Buffadero Battery, Artillery battery on Windmill Hill, Gibraltar
Buffadero Battery sits on Windmill Hill as a military fortification with concrete structures containing gun emplacements and defensive works. The site overlooks the Straits of Gibraltar and now functions as a training center with two firing ranges, an obstacle course, and a mock village for urban combat practice.
The battery developed as part of Gibraltar's late-period British military defense and originally held heavy 9.2-inch guns. These weapons formed part of a broader fortification strategy designed to counter enemy warships.
The name Buffadero likely comes from the Spanish word 'bufido' meaning blowing or snorting, or from Genoese workers involved in Gibraltar's construction. This connection to the building tradition remains part of the site's local military story.
Access to the battery comes via Windmill Hill and offers views of the surrounding coastal landscape. Visiting works well alongside other nearby fortifications, as several military sites cluster in this area.
The battery's guns had the range to strike vessels along the Moroccan coast, showing military control over the passage. This capability made the position strategically vital for dominance over the sea route.
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