The Mazarron area offers many fascinating places to explore, but few are as dramatic as the guns and fort high on the cliffs at Cabo Tiñoso. If this place was anywhere else in the world it would be fenced off, have a visitor centre and be closed at night, instead it just seems to have been abandoned. The Spanish authorities talk of schemes to restore the battery which would protect it from acts of vandalism which are, unfortunately, gradually destroying the site
The Fort was last used during the Spanish Civil War and is at the end of a very narrow winding military road leading into the mountains, not recommended for those who don’t have a head for heights. Those who brave the journey are rewarded by stupendous views and the chance to witness military history before it disappears.
Cabo Tiñoso was chosen in the mid 1920s as a key place for the Spanish forces to build Forts and defenses for the port of Cartagena and after you experience the journey you will understand just how immense this scheme was and the amount of hard labor it required.
Cabo Tiñoso protected the western approach to the port and actually comprises of four forts, but the most dramatic is the Bateria de Castillitos which is home to two enormous guns whose barrels still point menacingly out to sea. They were among the biggest ever made by the British company, Vickers and with a caliber of 38.1cm (15inch) , a barrel of 17.7 meters (59 feet), they could fire a 900kg projectile to an incredible range of 35 miles
Not surprisingly the deterrent worked and warships kept well away from such fearsome firepower. Incidentally the silhouette of various classes of ships stenciled on the walls of the sighting towers (if they're still there) for the crews to make an identification, only include British, French and American warships!The Guns are said to have fired in anger only once, on April 26 1937, during the Spanish Civil War.
Another pair of these guns can be seen at the Bateria de Cenizas, near what is now La Manga Club, which covered the eastern approaches to Cartagena
A little lower is the El Jorel battery which mounted 15.24 cm guns. The highest battery is El Atalayon, which featured four Vickers, 10.5 cm anti-aircraft guns. Finally the Loma larga battery on the approach road, was designed for four 24cm howitzers used for plugging fire on battleship decks.
Everything is there peaceful today with only the sound of the seabirds wheeling around the 1000ft cliffs beneath the forts
In all this is an interesting day out and we will provide full details and directions in the welcome books at our properties as well as a cool box for your picnic.