Torre de Maro

Torre de Maro (also called Torre de Calaturcos) is a 16th-century coastal watchtower on the cliffs just east of Maro, in the municipality of Nerja. It stands about 350 m east of Playa de Maro, where the protected Maro-Cerro Gordo cliffs begin. A gravel track leaves the N-340 and a narrow path with steps climbs to the tower; the nearest car parks are about 500 m away in a straight line. The entrance is about 6 m above the ground, so this is a tower you see from outside.

Quick facts

• What it is: a coastal watchtower (atalaya costera) built in the 16th century, according to the description in Andalusia’s heritage guide. The regional government calls it the “torre almenara de vigilancia costera” of Maro.
• Also known as: Torre de Calaturcos.
• Protection: Bien de Interés Cultural, category Monument, code RI-51-0008068.
• The tower: a truncated cone about 11 m tall with a solid lower part; the entrance is on the south side, about 6 m above the ground.
• Where: on a platform close to a cliff edge, east of Playa de Maro, in Nerja (Málaga province).
• Coordinates: 36.75358, -3.82999 (the tower in OpenStreetMap).
• Tickets and hours: none published in the official sources we checked (Sept 2026).

Access and parking

By road: the tower is reached from the N-340 (Carretera del Mediterráneo), east of Maro. In OpenStreetMap, a 3 m wide gravel track starts directly on the N-340 and heads south towards the tower.

Parking: OpenStreetMap marks two small car parks by that track, about 490 m and 510 m north of the tower in a straight line. The regional government asks visitors to the natural area to park only in designated places, and overnight stays in caravans and campervans are banned throughout the protected area (Junta de Andalucía, Maro-Cerro Gordo).

On foot: measured along the OpenStreetMap paths, the walk is about 760 m from the eastern car park and about 850 m from the western one. It follows the gravel track, then a narrow path about 0.5 m wide that OpenStreetMap grades as mountain hiking, a flight of unpaved steps and a short unpaved path to the tower. We found no official figure for the climb or the walking time.

Public transport: we found no official information on buses to the tower itself. Maro village is about 1.3 km west in a straight line.

What to expect

This is a short walk to a lookout, not a museum visit. What the official sources say:

• The view: the Junta de Andalucía says the coastal landscape of the natural area can already be enjoyed from Torre de Maro: steep cliffs broken by beaches and small coves that are hard to reach.
• The protected area: the Paraje Natural Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo runs from the Maro watchtower to Cala de Calaiza in La Herradura. It covers 1,913 ha in the municipalities of Nerja and Almuñécar, includes a strip of sea one nautical mile (1,853.2 m) wide, and was declared on 28 July 1989.
• The tower: Andalusia’s heritage guide describes a truncated cone about 11 m tall, solid at the bottom, with a chamber above whose entrance opens on the south side about 6 m above the ground (IAPH, Guía Digital del Patrimonio Cultural de Andalucía).
• Part of a chain: the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage records the tower in its cultural landscape of the coastal defence from Maro to Cerro Gordo, together with Torre del Río de la Miel, Torre del Pino, Torre de la Caleta, Torre de Cerro Gordo and the Maro aqueduct (IAPH).
• On site: OpenStreetMap marks an information board and a viewpoint right beside the tower.

Skip it if you want to go inside a tower or need a step-free route: neither is possible here. Come for the short walk and the view along the cliffs.

Practical details

• Entry: we found no tickets, opening hours or guided visits in the official sources we checked (Sept 2026).
• Facilities: none are listed at the tower; OpenStreetMap shows only the information board and the viewpoint.
• Rules in the natural area: camping is not allowed anywhere in the Paraje Natural, and the Junta asks visitors to take their litter with them.
• The beach below: Playa de Maro, a sand beach about 350 m west of the tower in a straight line, marked with a lifeguard in OpenStreetMap.

Accessibility and safety

Accessibility: the route is not step-free. The last part is a path about 0.5 m wide, graded as mountain hiking in OpenStreetMap, with unpaved steps. It is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.

Safety: the heritage description places the tower on a platform close to a cliff, so keep well back from the edge, especially with children. The Junta asks visitors not to throw away cigarettes or anything else that could start a fire, and reminds them that their safety is their own responsibility. We found no official information on shade or water at the site, so bring what you need.

Best time to visit

No official source names a best time for Torre de Maro, and there are no opening hours to plan around. If you want to combine the tower with the beaches further east in the natural area, note that the Junta regulates access to El Cañuelo (Nerja) and Cantarriján (Almuñécar) in summer, with shuttle vehicles from designated car parks; check the current timetable on the Junta’s page before you go.

Nearby alternatives

• In walking distance: Playa de Maro (about 350 m) and the village of Maro (about 1.3 km), both in a straight line (OpenStreetMap).
• Caves of Nerja, 1.6 km away: the cave next to Maro, with the Detunda botanical garden beside it.
• Maro-Cerro Gordo Cliffs, 2.5 km away: the protected coast that begins at the tower.
• Balcón de Europa, 4.2 km away: the viewpoint in the centre of Nerja.
• Sierras of Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama, 9.5 km away: the mountains behind the coast.
• For beaches, hotels and where to eat, see our Nerja guide, the Frigiliana guide, the Almuñécar guide and the Costa del Sol guide.

Distances are in a straight line from the tower.

FAQ

Can you go inside Torre de Maro?

No visits are published. The lower part of the tower is solid, and the entrance is on the south side about 6 m above the ground, so you see it from outside.

How do you get to Torre de Maro?

From the N-340 east of Maro, follow the gravel track south towards the sea, then a narrow path and unpaved steps. Measured on OpenStreetMap, it is about 760 m on foot from the eastern car park by the track.

Is there parking at Torre de Maro?

OpenStreetMap marks two small car parks by the track, about 500 m north of the tower in a straight line. Overnight stays in campervans are banned throughout the natural area.

How old is Torre de Maro?

It is a coastal watchtower from the 16th century, protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural (Monument).

Is Torre de Maro part of the Maro-Cerro Gordo natural area?

Yes. The Junta de Andalucía describes the Paraje Natural Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo as running from the Maro watchtower east to Cala de Calaiza in La Herradura.

Sources and freshness

Checked 30 September 2026. Official: Junta de Andalucía, Paraje Natural Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo (area, rules, view, summer beach access); Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico: Guía Digital, Torre de Maro (date, description, protection; its text is also reproduced under licence on Spanish Wikipedia) and the cultural landscape of the Maro to Cerro Gordo coastal defence. Location, distances, car parks, tracks, paths and the beach: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Photos: Wikimedia Commons, licences as credited.