Torre Nueva

Torre Nueva is a stone watchtower perched on a low headland in Mijas, right by the coast, just west of La Cala de Mijas. Over the centuries it has picked up several alternative names — Torre de Pentapeseta, Torre Pesetas, Torre Vigía de Torrenueva, and Torre de la Peseta among them — which can make it tricky to track down online, especially since it's easy to confuse with unrelated places sharing a similar name. Today the tower stands within a residential estate, surrounded by villas and a narrow strip of green space, yet its solid, cone-shaped mass still commands attention centuries after it was built.

How do you get there?

Torre Nueva sits in the Mijas Costa area, along the coastal strip between Fuengirola and Marbella. The easiest way to reach it is by car or taxi, driving straight to the residential estate where the tower stands, with parking available on the surrounding streets. If you're relying on public transport, the coastal bus line connecting Fuengirola and Marbella stops close to La Cala de Mijas, leaving a short walk toward the sea to reach the tower. It's worth building the visit into a longer walk along the seafront promenade, since Torre Nueva is one of several similar watchtowers dotted along this stretch of the Costa del Sol.

What will you see there?

The tower has a truncated cone shape, roughly 18.20 meters in perimeter and 10.65 meters tall, with a base diameter of 5.65 meters. The lower section is a solid masonry block, and the entrance to the interior chamber sits on the north side, about 6.10 meters above ground — a deliberately awkward height meant to keep out anyone without a ladder or rope. Inside, a staircase still climbs to the top, where a stone sentry box (garita) survives, once used by lookouts to scan the sea for approaching ships. Historians disagree on exactly when the tower went up: most date it to 1568, though some sources argue construction actually began as early as 1513. Torre Nueva was one of roughly two hundred watchtowers raised along Spain's southern coast between the 16th and 18th centuries, part of a defensive network meant to spot pirate raids from North Africa and warn nearby communities in time. Even without stepping inside, the view of the tower framed against the sea and nearby cliffs is reason enough to stop by.

When is the best time to visit?

Given its exposed coastal position, the area around the tower is most pleasant in the morning or late afternoon, once the midday heat has eased off. Spring and autumn make for comfortable conditions for a longer walk along the coast, letting you take in several watchtowers in one outing without the summer crowds. In peak summer the nearby beaches draw more visitors, but the tower itself, set slightly back from the main beach paths, tends to stay quiet.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the tower? The tower is a protected historic monument and interior access is limited, so most visitors take it in from the outside, which is enough to appreciate its shape and historical role.

Why does the tower have so many different names? Local communities gave it various nicknames over the centuries — Torre Pesetas, Torre de Pentapeseta, Torre Vigía de Torrenueva — and these are sometimes confused today with entirely unrelated places that share a similar-sounding name, such as the town of Torrenueva in Castilla-La Mancha.

Is there an entrance fee? The tower stands in a public space and can be viewed from the outside free of charge, like the other watchtowers scattered along Mijas Costa.

How long does a visit take? The tower itself is a quick, ten-to-fifteen-minute stop — best paired with a walk along the seafront promenade and a look at the neighboring watchtowers.