San Miguel Tower

San Miguel Tower, locally known as Torreón de San Miguel, lies on the beach, next to the village of Cabo de Gata in the province of Almería in Spain.

San Miguel Tower was built in 1756 by order of Ferdinand VI of Spain. It replaced an earlier, probably 16th century, predecessor. Its function was to defend the nearby settlement of La Almadraba de Monteleva and its salt marshes. After the Peninsular War in 1808 the tower was abandoned.

In 1941 it became a house-barracks of the Guardia Civil. The square wall around it, with its corner turrets, was built in the 1980s. At present it is no longer used by the Guardia Civil but still owned by them.

At present the exterior of San Miguel Tower can freely be visited. Its entrance is walled up, so a visit of its interior is impossible. Too bad, it looks nice. García Tower is nearby.

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