CASTLES SAN VICENTE DE LA BARQUERA

Castillo de San Vicente, also known as Castillo del Rey, is a strategically positioned fortress in San Vicente de la Barquera, Cantabria, built on a rocky peninsula controlling access to the ría within the Oyambre Natural Park. Though early fortifications date to the High Middle Ages under Alfonso I of Asturias, the current structure was constructed starting in 1210 when Alfonso VIII granted the town a fuero. The castle measures 54 by 20 meters and features two distinctive towers—a square tower to the east and a pentagon-shaped tower to the west—united by a barrel-vaulted central body. Fully restored and adapted as a cultural center with museum exhibits, the fortress preserves Cantabrian medieval military heritage and offers panoramic views of the surrounding coastal marshlands.

Torre del Preboste stands in the historic Puebla Vieja quarter of San Vicente de la Barquera, a medieval coastal town in Cantabria, Spain. Built in the 13th century alongside the defensive walls surrounding the town, this tower once served as the residence and administrative seat of the preboste, a royal official tasked with tax collection and defense. Originally positioned to control the Santander Gate—one of the main fortified entrances to the town—the tower later functioned as a public jail during different periods of history. Today extensively renovated since the 16th century, it serves the community as a cultural center hosting exhibitions and cultural activities. Its strategic location near the Church of Santa María de los Ángeles and other medieval landmarks makes it a key element of the town's preserved medieval heritage.