Castillo de Guardias Viejas

About the museum

The Castillo de Guardias Viejas is an 18th-century coastal battery built on a small rocky hill beside the Mediterranean, in the municipality of El Ejido. Construction began around 1769, in the reign of Charles III, as part of a plan to protect the coast from attacks by pirates and privateers, to a design by the military engineer José Crame. During the Peninsular War the English army partly destroyed it to prevent French troops from using it, and it was rebuilt in 1817.

The square-plan building is organised around a parade ground (patio de armas), from which access is gained to the vaulted interior rooms, the terrace and the semicircular battery of cannons; in the past a moat was crossed by a drawbridge. It was restored in 1980, and in 1985 it was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (asset of cultural interest). From the terrace a wide stretch of the coast can be seen.

Today it can be visited free of charge. Inside there is a permanent exhibition of uniforms and weapons of the period, and during the summer a series of concerts is held in its grounds.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition of uniforms and weapons of the period
• Parade ground with access to the vaulted rooms
• Terrace with views of the coast
• Semicircular battery of 18th-century cannons

Permanent exhibition

• Exposición permanente de uniformes y armas – Display of clothing and weapons of the Napoleonic era in the castle's rooms.

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission.

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Amenities & dining

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