Mazarron, La Torre del Molinete, Watchtower dating from 1490, giving views of the surrounding area

La Torre del Molinete was constructed in 1490 by the Catholic Monarchs to protect the area surrounding Mazarron, as this area was a zone of constant conflict at this time in its' history.

Mazarron was an area rich in mineral deposits, including silver, and had been mined since before 600BC, indeed, the famous Mazarron Phoenician boats which were discovered in the bay of La Isla date from this period. One of them was laden with mineral exports, destined for trade along the African coast and the remains of which can be seen today in Cartagena, along with items from the mines of Mazarron.

You can see Mazarron 1in the ARQUA, Museum of Marine archaeology in Cartagena, click for ARQUA, and in the Cartagena Archaeological Museum are ingots from Mazarron and many other artefacts recoverd from excavations in the area, Click Archaeological Museum, Cartagena.

This mineral wealth, and the workers employed in the mine workings made it an attractive target for the Berber pirates who terrorized this coastline for centuries, stealing whatever they could get their hands on and kidnapping workers for re-sale in the arab slave markets or for ransom.

Watchtowers like this one were built right along the coastline, and within the region we can still see them today in Aguilas and Los Alcazares, as well as areas such as Cabo de Palos in Cartagena where the tower was replaced with the lighthouse, Click Cabo de Palos lighthouse.

Mazarron has an additional link to the Berber pirates in that the main religious event of the year is the Romeria in which the miraculous appearance of the figure of the virgin on the beach saved the town from disaster when attacked by the berber pirates, an event which is celebrated each year as the townspeople gather in their thousands on the beach to enjoy sardines and bonfires in commemoration of their deliverance.

 

The Tower of el Molinete sits atop an elevated hill known as the Cerro del Molinete, which has now been formed into an Urban park area which wends up the hill to the tower at the top, giving fabulous views out across the surrounding area.

It's quite a steep climb, but makes an interesting focal point for a visit to Mazarron if you're going in for any other reason.

It's not the best place for those with limited mobility, as the only way is up, and the paths have been finished with a gritty surface, which although it felt quite staple on the way up, was a little slippery underfoot coming back down, so take care as there are no handrails. 

The Parque Urbano and Torre were inaugurated in June 2010 and it is planned that they be open during daylight hours 7 days a week, but hours will probably be adjusted later on.

The Parque is located in the urban area with plenty of parking around its' foot in Calle Miguel de Cervantes, click for map.

 

Would we recommend it?

It's not worth making a special trip to Mazarron to visit as a historical attraction, but is a good place to include as part of a tour of the town or to view the area from above.

 

 

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