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Torre des Verger
Torre des Verger is one of the most iconic and well-preserved old coastal watchtowers in Mallorca
Torre del Verger was built in February, 1579, as a part of the extensive guardian network of towers around the island.
At this time Mallorca saw an increased amount of pirate attacks from north Africa and the Ottoman empire. The pirates would cruise in the waters around Mallorca, making camps on the small islands off the coastline, making them a constant threat.
The tower wasn’t guarded y professional soldiers, it was average land workers taking shifts. Torre del Verger did not have a battery, as it was solely meant as a watch tower. When the guards saw a ship in the sea, the lit a fire and raised a flag. This way, all towers communicated with one another, until the signal reach the major urban areas who could mobilize an army ready for battle.
In the 1830’s France conquered north Africa, causing the pirate attacks to dramatically stagnate and eventually disappear. The tower was now solely used for random checks of smugglers and other criminals.
In 1916 Archduke Ludwig Salvador wrote: “When the government sold the towers on the coast of Mallorca, I acquired the Torre del Verger because I considered it to be the point with the best view of the entire coast of Mallorca…” Salvador is known to be one of the greatest explorers of the Balearic Islands. He purchased a number of prestigious properties on the island such as Son Marroig, s’Estacia and the old Miramar monastery.
Post the death of the archduke, Torre des Verger was left in total abandonment and degradation. However, in 1955, the Balearic government decided to restore the tower to its current condition.
The name comes from the place, which in older historical documents from the Kingdom of Mallorca, was known as Verger meaning orchard in Catalan.
How to access Torre des Verger
It is possible to access the tower via a narrow iron stairway inside of it, and the sight that awaits you on the platform are indescribable! There is a small parking lot close by, which makes the tower a must-see place of interest when driving along the coastline between Banyalbufar and Estellencs.
