punta ala hidalgo towerHidalgo Tower

Also known as Torre del Barbiere, this tower sits on a small promontory of the same name.

It was built in 1577 in an effort to better defend the southern coasts of the Principaliy of Piombino from pirates.

In the first half of the 18th century all of Punta Ala became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the tower was privately sold, later bought by Italo Balbo, who also bought Castello di Punta Ala in the 20th century.

Today Torre Hidalgo is almost entirely covered by Mediterranean brush and little of its original square shape is visible.

You can access the tower through a small rectangular door that opens onto a mezzanine and a characteristic set of wooden stairs that lead to a small drawbridge.

At the top of the tower is a large bell, once used for sounding the alarm during an attack.

From here you can see all of Punta Ala, the surrounding forests and the beautiful blue sea.

The tower isn’t really open to visitors, so if you want to explore it you have to prepare yourself for a little hiking.

There are signs on the road to Punta Ala and there is only one road to Punta Ala so you can’t miss it. Trust me, it’s worth the hike simply to enjoy the breathtaking view of the Tuscan archipelago.