Gulf of Mazarron

The Gulf of Mazarrón cuts into the southeastern coast of Iberia, beneath the foothills of the Sierra de la Almenara. The surrounding country has been mined since antiquity, while the bay gives access to the sea beside the port of Mazarrón. Its shores were exposed to raids from North Africa, and the towers built to watch over them became conspicuous landmarks along the coast.

In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the towers of Santa Isabel, Los Caballos and El Molinete formed part of the local defences. Santa Isabel stood above the port, commanding a view of approaching ships. Philip II granted Mazarrón the status of a town in 1572; fishing gained importance in the eighteenth century, alongside the transport of alum from the mining district.