The Ministry of Environment is funding a €907,889 project to restore seven of the old watchtowers along the Málaga coast, including two in Nerja.
The watchtowers, of which there are many along the coast, formed part of a three-line coastal defence system and were used to quickly spread the word of any impending threat.
The Maro and La Caleta towers in Nerja are the ones to be restored to their former glory, with the company Tragsa due to start the project within the next few days. The towers will be repaired, inside and outside, using materials similar to the existing ones. Technical studies have already been carried out to analyse the existing structures in order to locate suitable, and authentic materials for the project.
The towers will also have suitable signs for visitors and a lighting system will be installed, both internally and externally. The completion period for the renovation work has been set at fifteen months.
The Ministry of Environment is keen to renovate towers with a particular cultural or historic significance and interest, rather than engage in a wholesale reconstruction programme, hence the limited number. The others to benefit from this restoration project are in Casares, Estepona, Marbella, Bóvedas and Rio Real.