Isla de Tabarca

The small and tranquil island of Tabarca is situated just a few kilometres off the Costa Blanca mainland near Santa Pola. Once used as a hideaway by Barbary pirates and by the Spanish to house Genoese prisoners, the island is reached by regular ferries from Torrevieja harbour, the journey taking around 30 minutes.

The island measures 1,800 by 400 meters and the surrounding waters were declared a national marine reserve in 1986. The abundance of marine life in the clear waters are popular with divers and snorkellers to view at close range sea horses, starfish, octopus, turtles, salmon and many other species.  Tabarca is the only inhabited island in the Region of Valencia and has a rich history. The San José watchtower is a late 18th-century construction that was used to keep watch over the shores for approaching invaders and also as the state prison.

After the mid-19th century, the tower was once again redeployed and became a lighthouse, in an attempt to avoid the habitual drownings and shipwrecks that occurred off Tabarca’s coast in those days. The historic settlement, encased by the old city wall, follows the line of the coast and was built gradually over the course of the 18th and 19th centuries as the population of the island began to grow and the town is easily-accessible by three gates, or porticos. The gateways of San Miguel, San Rafael and San Gabriel (La Trancada) are still extremely well-preserved and in themselves form one of Tabarca’s main historical attractions.

 Inside the fortress is the San Pedro and San Pablo church, a small but exquisite place of worship and a fine example of late 18th-century Neoclassical architecture with touches of the Baroque period.

Through the quaint, winding streets with their chocolate-box white houses and balconies adorned with colourful flowers stands the Governor’s House and the Guard Barracks, fully-preserved even though no longer in use and a recently opened museum overlooks the harbour and beaches. The traditional Spanish settlement remains largely unspoilt and unaffected by the growing number of visitors during the summer months. There are many restaurants scattered along the hilltops overlooking the sea and situated down quiet cobbled side streets where you can sample the freshly caught fish dishes and admire the view over the rocky coastline.