Batería J4

Batería J4 is a coastal artillery battery hidden in the woods of Montes de Baredo, a few kilometres from the centre of Baiona in the province of Pontevedra, guarding the southern side of the mouth of the Ría de Vigo. Abandoned and now partly in ruins, the site spent decades watching over the Galician coast and remains one of the most striking military relics in the area.

Where exactly is Batería J4?

The battery sits on the hills above Cabo Silleiro, right next to the Silleiro lighthouse (Faro de Silleiro), with views over the mouth of the Ría de Vigo and Baiona Bay. Together with the neighbouring J5 battery, it forms a single military complex in the parish of Baredo. Both batteries belonged to a defensive network protecting the Rías Baixas, which also included the batteries at Monteferro (J3), Cabo Udra (J2), A Guía (J6) and O Grove (J1), positioned so their fields of fire overlapped and covered each other.

When was it built, and why?

The first two guns arrived in 1923, salvaged from a decommissioned Spanish warship. A third gun was added in the early 1940s, and the battery reached its final layout in 1943, part of a wider postwar effort to replace the region's outdated coastal defences after the Spanish Civil War. Spanish and German engineers both worked on the underground galleries and shelters. The battery's job was to control access to the Ría de Vigo and Baiona Bay, guarding against a naval attack that never came.

What weapons did the battery carry?

At full strength the battery held four Vickers guns of 152.4 mm calibre, with a maximum range of 21,600 metres. The guns could be fired manually or switched to an automatic electric mode that let all four positions open fire together. Operating a single gun took around nine soldiers, and the battery's full garrison numbered more than fifty. A coastal artillery regiment ran the site for over five decades.

What survives on site today?

The complex includes roughly 200 metres of underground tunnels fitted with rail tracks for moving ammunition, four gun emplacements, a fire-control and observation bunker, barracks, a canteen, stables, a water cistern and other support buildings. At its thickest point, the rock cover protecting the galleries reaches 14 metres. One of the 15.2 cm guns still stands on site, its barrel capped, and it is the most recognisable landmark among the ruins.

Can visitors reach Batería J4?

The battery kept a small garrison until the early 1990s and was finally abandoned in 1998. Since then the buildings have decayed and suffered vandalism, and the interiors are closed off. The ruins themselves, however, can be reached on foot along a coastal path near the Silleiro lighthouse, a route popular with hikers and history enthusiasts, as shown by the many visitor photos and reviews of the site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Batería J4 located? On the hills of Cabo Silleiro, in the parish of Baredo, a few kilometres from Baiona, at the mouth of the Ría de Vigo.

When was the battery built? The first guns were installed in 1923, and the full battery was completed in 1943.

What weapons did it have? Four Vickers guns of 152.4 mm calibre with a range of up to 21,600 metres.

Can you go inside the bunkers? No, the interiors are sealed, but the ruins are visible from the outside along the coastal footpath.

Until when was the battery operational? It was abandoned in 1998, though it kept only a small garrison from the early 1990s onward.