At the Uztrikotze cape you can see the ruins of the Askorriaga Pillbox, with fantastic views of the cliffs. In his day surely it scared away more than one pirate like The Feared, from Espronceda’s oeuvre “La Canción del Pirata” (The Pirate’s Song), with his cannons. Today, however, only mounds of stones are scattered on the cape.
Interesting Data
The Askorriaga Pillbox, also known as Azkorriaga Pillbox or El Castillito Roto (The Broken Little Castle), was built in the eighteenth century. At that time it was not unusual to see English ships sailing in the area and, as prevention, they built the Askorriaga Pillbox.
The location was not chosen at random. The Uztrikotze cape was the best location so that the cannons of the time could guard the entrance of Gorliz Bay. In addition, it is also about 25 meters high on the cliffs and located on one of the most salient points. The situation was very good to see the boats quite miles away and even shoot them with the cannons when they were close enough.
The advance in armaments caused the cannons of the fort to become obsolete and the building has deteriorated to this day.
Video guide
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