Costa del Sol castle attracts more than 4,000 visitors in first month of opening

The town hall has refurbished and reopened Castillo de San Luis as an exhibition space

María Albarral

Estepona

Tuesday, 28 January 2025, 14:23

More than 4,000 people have visited Castillo de San Luis in Estepona on the Costa del Sol in the first month since it opened as an exhibition centre. Following excavation and restoration work, this 16th century fortress has received an average of 150 visitors a day, almost 50 per cent of whom are foreign tourists.

San Luis castle has been the object of an ambitious project for the conservation and recovery of this coastal fortress built in the last quarter of the 16th century which has been unused for almost a century.

In addition to seeing the exhibits, which explain the history of the castle, visitors will be able to see first-hand some of the archaeological pieces from different periods that have been obtained in the excavations carried out during the work, which are displayed in the eight showcases set up in the exhibition area. The exhibits include artillery ammunition, religious objects, ceramics and an old shelter from the Spanish Civil War.

The town councillor for historical heritage, Daniel García, said that the exhibition space gives "visibility" to the castle "which can now be enjoyed by all residents and visitors".

Historical value

The exhibition shows several centuries of Estepona's history, offering items from the 16th century, walls from the 18th century, and even older pieces.

The castle's original purpose was to reinforce the southern front of the walls of Islamic origin, dominating La Rada beach. Its most outstanding features were three artillery bastions and a large porticoed parade ground with several barracks.

In the mid-18th century part of the Castle of San Luis underwent a major transformation into a cannon battery. After the damage caused by the Lisbon earthquake in 1755 and an attack by the French in 1812, a large part of the castle was abandoned and fell into ruin, with only part of the structure surviving, which was turned into a courtyard in a house built at the end of the 19th century.

Castillo de San Luis can be visited from 10am to 2pm and from 5pm to 8pm, Monday to Friday.

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