Torreón de San Telmo faces collapse due to administrative inaction

The Torreón de San Telmo, an iconic medieval coastal monument located on the Santa Justa cliff in Ubiarco, Cantabria, is facing an accelerated process of disappearance. The structure, which has appeared in nautical charts since at least the 16th century, is suffering from both natural erosion and administrative inaction.

Despite being privately owned, the tower is protected under Spanish Historical Heritage laws and Cantabrian cultural heritage regulations. In 2020, the association Hispania Nostra included the tower on its ‘Red List of Heritage,’ a registry of sites at risk of disappearing without immediate intervention.

A restoration and consolidation preliminary project, containing the necessary technical details for rehabilitation, was commissioned by the Santillana del Mar City Council in 2021. However, the group Ecologistas en Acción has denounced a lack of institutional response, noting that requests made to the Directorate General of Culture and Historical Heritage have not resulted in the initiation of the necessary files.