Torre Vigía de la Illeta

The Torre Vigía de la Illeta stands on the same headland as the Illeta dels Banyets archaeological site, in El Campello. It was built between 1554 and 1557 on the orders of the viceroy Bernardino de Cárdenas to protect the coast from Barbary pirate raids, part of the network of warning towers that ran the length of the Valencian coastline.

A warning system built on smoke and fire

Each tower in the network was staffed by four men, two on foot and two on horseback. If a suspicious sail was spotted, the horsemen rode off to warn nearby towns and authorities while the men left in the tower alerted neighbouring towers with smoke signals by day and bonfires by night, so a warning could travel along much of the coast in a short time.

When it was built, the tower stood on a genuine islet: the Illeta was not connected to the mainland until 1944, when the artificial isthmus that now links it to the coast was built.

The tower has the shape of a truncated cone on a circular base 13.70 metres across, and originally could only be entered by a rope ladder that was pulled up from inside, making it nearly impregnable against a quick attack. It was restored and declared a cultural heritage site in 1991.

It can be viewed from outside, free of charge, and offers one of the best views along the El Campello coastline, with Muchavista beach stretching away to the south. Combining the tower with the archaeological site on the same headland makes it a short but complete stop on any visit to the municipality.