tower daymark

The tower daymark in Ca'n Picafort is one of the distinctive obelisk-shaped structures standing along this Majorcan seafront, a surviving piece of a World War II-era navigation system rather than a lighthouse or lookout point.

What exactly is this tower?

It belongs to a category of structure known in Spanish as torres de enfilación — alignment or range towers, called "daymarks" in English because they work by sight during daylight, with no light source needed. Each daymark was built as one half of a pair: one tower stood closer to the shoreline, the other roughly 200 metres further inland. When the two towers of a pair appeared to line up visually from a vessel offshore, that alignment told an observer they were positioned exactly on a predetermined bearing line.

Why were these towers built here?

Construction began in 1941, during the Second World War, to support submarine training exercises in the Bay of Alcúdia. Fourteen pairs of towers were erected along the stretch of coast running from s'Albufera de Alcúdia to Colonia de Sant Pere. Submarine crews used the alignment of paired towers to fix their exact position while carrying out firing drills and mine-laying manoeuvres. The pairs were spaced roughly 1.2 kilometres apart along the coastline.

What were they made of, and what did they look like?

The towers were built from marés, the local sandstone, combined with cement. They were painted white and marked with red details, plus a number identifying each pair — a practical way for a submarine crew to confirm which bearing line they were reading. The system stayed in active military use until 1970.

How many of these towers still stand today?

Of the original fourteen pairs built across the whole Bay of Alcúdia, only eight individual towers survive. The ones still standing near Ca'n Picafort have become a fixture of the local shoreline, their angular silhouettes standing out against the beach, promenade, and hotel skyline.

Why is it worth noticing during a visit?

The tower is a rare, well-preserved trace of mid-20th-century military navigation infrastructure, still visible within the setting of a modern beach resort. It's easy to walk right past it along the Ca'n Picafort promenade without realising what it once did — which is exactly what makes it worth a second look: a quiet reminder that this coastline once served naval exercises long before it served sunbathers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a lighthouse? No. It's a daymark — an alignment tower used for visual position-finding during daylight, with no lantern or light mechanism.

What was its actual purpose? It helped submarines fix their exact position at sea during military exercises — firing drills and mine-laying — by visually aligning two towers set on the same bearing line.

When was it built, and how long was it in use? Construction started in 1941, during World War II, and the system remained operational until 1970.

How many similar towers can still be seen nearby? Eight of the original fourteen pairs across the Bay of Alcúdia survive today, including examples near Ca'n Picafort and neighbouring Son Bauló.