La Illeta Tower

La Illeta Tower, locally known as Torre de la Illeta or Torre de la Isleta, lies next to the harbor of the town of El Campello in the province of Alicante in Spain.

Ever since the Turkish settlement in Algiers in 1516, the entire coast of the Spanish Mediterranean was threatened by attacks of Barbary pirates who landed on the coast and ravaged and looted towns and rural settlements, taking away the inhabitants as slaves. So, in 1552, during the reign of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, lots of defensive watchtowers were started being built along the coast, from Alicante down to Cádiz. Most were built or completed during the reign of his son, Philip II of Spain, during the second half of the 16th century.

La Illeta Tower was built between 1554 and 1557 on the orders of the Viceroy of Valencia;  Bernardino de Cárdenas y Pacheco, Duke of Maqueda.

La Illeta Tower is a round tower with a tapering body, crowned by corbels. The base of the tower is solid, entrance was at first floor level for security. It was garrisoned by 4 men; 2 guards and 2 men on horseback.

At present the exterior of La Illeta Tower can freely be visited. The interior of the tower was closed when I came by, I do not know if it is ever open. A nice watch tower.

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