La Duquesa Castle

Castillo de la Duquesa, located in Sabinillas on the Costa del Sol near Manilva, is a distinctive circular 18th-century fortress erected in 1767 under the orders of Francisco Paulino under Spanish King Carlos III. Originally designed as a defensive bunker against Barbary pirates and privateers, the castle features impressive circular architecture with four 24-caliber cannon emplacements that exemplify the military architecture of the period. Positioned just 100 meters from La Duquesa Beach, the fortress stands on a Roman archaeological site where excavations in 1989 uncovered extensive infrastructure of an ancient fishing village, one of Andalucía's most significant Roman discoveries. Today the castle hosts cultural and recreational events while displaying archaeological exhibits from the surrounding area.