Es Castellar

Surrounded by a small dry-stone wall, this tower is one of the few British vestiges preserved in the area of Ciutadella.

It was built during the last British domination in 1799.

In April 1756, the French army under the command of the Duke of Richelieu, disembarked in Santandría cove.

The French were warmly welcomed by residents and their authorities and then headed to Maó to lay siege to the Sant Felip castle.

Many years later, the British decided to defend this site and built a tower on the northern inlet of the entrance to the Santandría cove.

The tower is quite original in appearance:

It lies in the middle of a stone-lined trench measuring six metres wide, defended by the stone parapet that only lets the upper terrace jut out.

It is made of the local sandstone and can be reached via an underground passage-way that starts at the outer parapet.

A series of loopholes let the soldiers defend the trench, while the could set up one or two artillery pieces on the terrace.

The Es Castellar tower is the only building remaining from the British period in Ciutadella.