General information
Located on Castilnovo beach in Conil de la Frontera, it was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (ACI) in 1931.
Built in the 16th century by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, Juan Alonso Pérez de Guzmán y Zúñiga, the Castilnovo Tower fulfilled a double function: it was a watchtower against possible Berber attacks and it was at the service of the tuna traps, as they had to warn if the large shoals of bluefin tuna were sighted. It is known to have been built near the now-disappeared Torre del Conilejo (Conilejo Tower), which served the same purpose.
It 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, and which served as accommodation for both the tuna trap workers and the merchants who came to buy the tuna.
The fortress had a mayor with voice and vote in the town council of Conil, and remained in force until the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, which caused a tidal wave that destroyed it, leaving only the Castilnovo Tower. Near the tower is one of the two monoliths that were used to set the buche trap.
Nowadays, a colony of the endangered Eremita Ibis, a bird that has recently been introduced in the region of La Janda as part of a recovery plan, has nested on its roof.
Add new comment