Description of the attraction
San Telmo Castle is located on the top of a hill 74 meters above sea level, right on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. the rocky rise where the fortress was built is to the west of the port of Almeria. From the foot of the castle, there is a magnificent view of the port, the Gulf of Almeria and the historical part of the city, including the alcazaba.
There is historical evidence that a well-fortified tower was built on the site of the fortress of San Telmo in 1571, which was constantly undergoing some kind of alterations. It housed a garrison responsible for the defense of the city. After its complete destruction by the English army in 1811, the tower, along with similar structures in the western part of the city, remained in ruins for several decades. Only in 1830 the tower and buildings around it began to be gradually restored. In 1906, the castle was converted into a police station.
In 1976, a lighthouse was built on the territory of the castle of San Telmo, which is a square white tower with a black stripe. Back in 1861, the fortress was used as a place from which to send light signals to ships passing by or trying to enter the local port.
The lighthouse and castle have recently been renovated. You can climb to them from the road that connects the village of Aguadulce with Almeria. A steep path with 70 steps leads to the top. Sometimes a closed gate blocks the way. While the lighthouse is closed for visits, although the authorities of Almeria do not exclude that they will open it to tourists in the future.
