Huércal-Overa Castle

Huércal-Overa Castle, locally known as Castillo de Huércal-Overa, lies on a mountain next to the town of the same name, in the province of Almería in Spain.

Traditionally the tower of Huércal-Overa Castle was thought to be just a watchtower. However, archaeological excavations carried out in the last decade revealed traces of a bigger fortification.

In the late 13th and 14th century the area was a frontier between the Nasrid Emirate of Granada and the advancing Christian kingdoms of Castile and Aragón. The Nasrids built Huércal-Overa Castle, maybe on an earlier fortification, in the 2nd half of the 14th century to protect a mountain pass. This castle was, just like Santa Bárbara Castle, part of a string of fortifications to protect this frontier.

In 1407 Huércal-Overa Castle was taken by a Christian raid party from Lorca. After only a couple of weeks they were besieged by a Muslim army from Granada. During that siege several towers were mined and collapsed. The Muslims then took back the castle. In 1436 the castle was again taken by Christian forces from Lorca, only to be taken back by the Muslims 10 years later. Finally, in 1488, the whole area of the Almanzora valley, surrendered to Ferdinand II of Aragon. After the fall of the Emirate of Granada in 1492 the castle lost its function and fell to ruin, only leaving the tower to survive until the present.

During the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s the tower was used as a bunker and several openings were made to fire machine guns.

In 2010 the tower was rebuilt and a small museum was installed in it. This saved the tower from further deterioration, although it robbed it of its historical feel in my opinion.

At present Huércal-Overa Castle can be visited for a small fee. A nice tower on a very nice location.

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