Tabarka's most visible landmark sits on a rocky promontory above the town — a compact but well-preserved fortress built by the Lomellini family of Genoa in the sixteenth century. The family had secured rights to the lucrative coral beds offshore and needed somewhere to store their haul and defend themselves from pirates.
The walk up takes about fifteen minutes from the port. From the battlements there are commanding views over the town, the coast and the forested hills inland. The interior is mostly open to the sky but the walls are largely intact. Come in the late afternoon when the light is best and the heat has eased.