The Only Watchtower You Can Go Inside on the Costa del Sol

A story for parents and kids: the watchtowers of the Costa del Sol

Dear parents, this is a story you can enjoy reading together with your kids. 🤗 Along the sunny coast of the Costa del Sol, there are many old stone towers by the sea. Long ago, these towers helped keep people safe.

What were these towers for?

Hundreds of years ago, pirates sometimes came from the sea. The towers were built so guards could watch the horizon. If they saw danger, they made smoke signals during the day and fire signals at night.

In this way, the towers could “talk” to each other along the coast.

Today, there are almost 50 towers like this on the Costa del Sol.

Can you go inside the towers?

Here comes the exciting part!

👉 Almost all of the towers are closed.

You can look at them, but you cannot go inside.

Except for one…

Meet the special one: Torre de La Cala

Torre de La Cala, in La Cala de Mijas, is the only watchtower on the Costa del Sol that is open to the public.

Inside, kids and parents can:

• 🚶 walk up a staircase
• 🧱 see the thick stone walls
• 🧭 look out from the top and imagine being a lookout
• 🏺 learn a little history in a fun, simple way

It’s like stepping into a real-life history story!

What about the other towers?

You’ll see many towers while walking by the sea or along paths like the Senda Litoral. They are great for:

• 📸 taking photos
• 👀 spotting from afar
• 🏴‍☠️ imagining pirate stories

But remember

• 🔒 most of the towers are closed
• 🔓 only one is open inside
• ⭐ and that one is Torre de La Cala

Perfect for a short family stop, curious kids, and parents who love sharing stories from the past.

A tower with a social mission

The La Cala de Mijas Tower is operated in collaboration with the AFESOL Salud Mental Foundation on the Costa del Sol. Through this project, AFESOL supports social inclusion by creating meaningful jobs for people with mental health challenges, while helping keep this historic site open to the public.

🎟️ Entry ticket: €2
Visiting the tower is a simple way to support both local heritage and a valuable social cause.

👉 For more AFESOL places, see our Instagram post here

What’s around the tower?

Just next to the tower, your kids will find two playgrounds:

• 👶 one for younger children (ages 2–4)
• 🏴‍☠️ a larger pirate ship playground for kids 5+, where they can feel like real pirates
• 💪 right next to the ship, there’s also a beach gym to explore

👉 Don’t forget to combine your visit with the BIO Market in La Cala de Mijas