Castilnovo route from tower to tower

This route starts at Guzmán Tower,located in the historic centre, and ends at Castilnovo Tower, on the beach of the same name. Here, you can enjoy both the historical and cultural heritage of the municipality and the natural surroundings of Prado Castilnovo. At the start of the route you can visit the Guzmán Tower, which can be accessed from the top,offering unique views of the town and the coastline. This tower was the first building in Conil and gave its name to this municipality until the 16th century. It was built in the early years of the 14th century on the initiative of Mr. Alonso Pérez Guzmán "El Bueno" and constituted the nucleus around which the town of Conil began to grow. By popular request, Mr. Enrique de Guzmán,Count of Niebla, ordered the construction of a walled enclosure around the Tower to provide shelter when there was danger. The building was a noble residence where the dukes stayed during the tuna fishing season, so that they could supervise it personally. The Plaza de Santa Catalina, the main square of the municipality of Conil until well into the 19th century, was built around this tower. Near the tower is also La Chanca Centre for the interpretation and documentation of the sea, tuna and tuna traps, another example of Conil's tuna-trap origins. After visiting the historic centre, the route continues along the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Salado River and reaches the Prado Castilnovo path, a natural environment where you can stroll surrounded by an incomparable coastal landscape until you reach the Castilnovo Tower, another historic symbol of Conil. The Castilnovo Tower was originally a small fortress with an artillery piece to defend the coast. An enclosure was built around it, the perimeter of which can still be seen today, which served as accommodation for both the tuna trap workers and the merchants who came to buy the tuna. The fortress stood until the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, which caused a tidal wave that destroyed it, leaving only Castilnovo Tower. Near the tower is one of the two monoliths that were used to set the buche trap. Nowadays,a colony of Eremite Ibis, a bird in danger of extinction and which has come to form the most numerous colony in the whole of Europe, has nested on its roof.