Watchtowers along the coast

     There are a total of five watchtowers along the coast of Formentera. The first watchtower to be built was on the island of Espalmador and it was followed by the watchtowers of Punta Prima, La Gavina, Cap de Barbaria, and Es Pi d´es Català.

     The purpose of the watchtowers was to defend the island against attacks from the sea. Each watchtower could see another watchtower so that when a watchman sighted a suspicious boat, he could warn the others.

     In all the watchtowers there were arms, canons, and other pieces of artillery. Usually, the method used to warn the population of a possible pirate attack was to light bonfires on top of the watchtower. The smoke gave the warning to the next watchtower, which lit a bonfire to warn the next watchtower, and so on, until all the population had been warned.