Tower des Pi des Català

Defense tower in Migjorn coast
Tower des Pi des Català, Formentera

Quick info:

Visits:
Saturdays from 10h to 13h (free admission)

Location

Torre des Pi des Català, Formentera

The Torre des Pi des Català is the most interesting of the watchtowers of Formentera, as it is the only one that has been enabled to receive visitors.

History and Restoration of the Tower of Es Pi des Catalá

The Torre des Pi des Català was erected in 1763, at the same time as the other towers of Formentera, and was part of the network of defense towers of Formentera and Ibiza (with a total of 14 towers, five of them in Formentera).

The Torre des Pi des Català is located on a hill 23 meters above sea level and has a direct view of the church of Sant Francesc (which was also used for defensive purposes).

The building has a circular plan of 12.56 meters in diameter with a base of about 30 cm in height used as a support and foundation for the construction itself. A powder magazine could be found on the first floor (since this tower, like that of Barbaria, was artillery) and a main room on the second floor that was communicated through a staircase originally made of stone, which disappeared when a hole was made that was used as a door in the twentieth century. It also had machicolations with burglars, which disappeared over time.

Its thick walls, more than 2.5 meters thick, allowed it to withstand the possible artillery shells it could receive in case it was attacked.

The Torre des Pi des Catalá was built, like the other towers of Formentera, for defensive reasons. The peculiarity of this tower is that it was restored in 2016, being responsible the architect of Formentera Marià Castelló. The rehabilitation works were carried out between 2009 and 2015, recovering it from the devastation it was in due to lack of conservation and vandalism.

In this link of Marià Castelló’s website you can read more about the architectural process of restoration of the Torre des Pi des Català.

How to get to the Tower of Es Pi des Catalá?

The tower of Es Pi des Catalá can be reached by taking the old road from Sant Francesc to La Mola and then following the signs to the Sol y Luna Restaurant.

Just at the end of the road there is a large parking lot where you can leave your car or motorcycle. The tower is located in the middle of a pine forest and is not visible from the road, so follow the directions in this fact sheet to follow a trail for a couple of minutes and find out how to find it.

Visiting the tower of Es Pi des Catalá

Thanks to the restoration that was given to the tower of Es Pi des Catalá, it is the only one of the defense towers that can receive visitors.

Visits are on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Upon entering its interior you can appreciate the details of a building dating from the eighteenth century, with a very minimalist restoration that has enhanced the value of the building itself, which has earned it awards and recognition in the world.

It is advisable to contact the cultural area of the Consell insular de Formentera before traveling if you want to visit it to make sure you will find it open.

Other towers of Formentera

The other defense towers of Formentera are:

Add a review about this place

All fields are required

Reviews from other users

There are no reviews yet. Be the first one to write one.

Latest places added to our directory

Area:

Exclusive mediterranean botique hotel on the coast of Migjorn

Area:

Mediterranean style house/hotel on the beachfront of Es Arenals, Migjorn