The Canyamel Tower

Within the municipality of Capdepera, next to the main road that leads to the coastal village Canyamel, we can find the Torre de Canyamel, one of the most outstanding defence towers on Mallorca for its age and state of conservation. It is believed that it is of Arab origin although its development is linked to the era of the conquest of Mallorca by Jaume I (XIII century). The tower was built to control the coastline and served as a refuge and defence of the inhabitants of the fertile valley of Canyamel, against the frequent attacks by pirates and invaders.

In its 700 years history, the fortified house has experienced numerous alterations, and once the danger of invaders disappeared, it was transformed into a property dedicated to farming. When the cultivation of sugarcane was introduced, in the second half of the XV century, the defence tower changed its original name of Torre d'en Montsó for its present one, Torre de Canyamel. Directed by the architect, Josep Ferragut, the Morell family (owners of the tower) has rehabilitated the fortified house over the past decades with a view to recovering its historical aspect.

The tower, that has three floors plus a central turret with a total 23 metres, is an excellent lookout point over the Bay of Canyamel and a great part of the municipalities of Capdepera, Artà and Son Servera.

At present the inside of the Torre de Canyamel can be visited from Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., for 3 euros. Also, sporadically concerts are held there, such as the one that will take place next September 6, and soon the owners are planning to install an artisan centre in the old buildings that surround the tower. In one of these buildings is the Restaurante Sa Porxada (Tel 971841310) which has been open for a few years and serves typical Mallorcan dishes such as Sopas Mallorquinas and Suckling Pig in a popular and rustic atmosphere.

More information:

- Photographic report by MallorcaWeb (27 photographs)

Photo © BalearWeb

Datum: 24/08/2002

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