Torre de les Escaletes

Monuments

The Escaletes Tower, also known as Torre i Pep, has a circular floor plan and its main function consisted of the surveillance of this maritime sector, paying special attention to any enemy vessel that could have hidden in the nearby island of Tabarca. In that case, he had to immediately send warning signals to the Atalaiola tower and the Castillo-Fortaleza de Santa Pola. The Vigía Towers were built in 1552, under the reign of Felipe II. They are strategically located to spot the enemy before it reaches the coast and communicate with each other through smoked by day and by night luminaries. They are: Torre del Tamarit in Las Salinas, Escaletes in the Sierra and Atalayola in the current lighthouse. His custody was entrusted to four attackers: two on foot, who carried out continuous surveillance, and two on horseback, who controlled the route between two towers: communication, request for help, etc. Both the Escaletes Tower and the Atalayola (current Faro) had guards on foot, but not on horseback, so the liaison function was carried out by the two atajadores of the castle.