ONE OF THE MAIN WATCHTOWERS OF THE LATE 16TH AND EARLY 17TH CENTURY

Standing at 380 metres above sea level, this watchtower from the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century was one of the main lookout points to ward off the constant threat of corsairs.

The fabulous views from this watchtower, including the Formentor headland, the islet of Colomer, the Bay of Pollença, the Sierra del Cavall Bernat and the rest of the Sierra de Tramuntana, made it an ideal surveillance and coastal defence point to spot pirate boats attempting to come ashore and loot nearby villages.

When danger was sensed, smoke signals during the day and torch signals at night were relayed from one tower to another to warn nearby towns, from where armed men would arrive on horseback, and also the city of Palma, where the majority of troops were stationed.

The end of piracy in the nineteenth century meant that most of these watchtowers fell into disuse, although Albercutx did play an important role in the two World Wars and the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), when it was used as a strategic observation point.