Isla de Tabarca

Tabarca is the only inhabited island in the Valencian Community, about 22 km from Alicante, with an 18th-century walled village. The surrounding waters form Spain's first marine reserve, known for their clarity, and the local speciality is caldero. The boat from Alicante harbour takes between about 45 minutes and an hour.

Tabarca is the only inhabited island in the Valencian Community, lying about 22 km south of Alicante and some 8 km from the port of Santa Pola. It is roughly 1850 m long and no more than 450 m wide, and in 2019 it had 51 residents. The first buildings went up in 1760, and in 1770 the island was settled by Genoese families from the Tunisian island of Tabarka, whose release from captivity had been secured by King Charles III, hence the name Nueva Tabarca. In 1964 the whole island was declared a historic-artistic site. Three Baroque gates survive in the walls of the 18th-century village: San Rafael, San Gabriel and San Miguel. Inside stands the church of San Pedro y San Pablo, blessed in 1770, while a former warehouse known as the Almadraba houses the Nueva Tabarca Museum on the island's history. Outside the walls, in the eastern part of the island known as el campo, once set aside for farming, are the Torre de San José, built in 1790 to shelter troops, and the 1854 lighthouse, now the marine reserve's biological laboratory. In 1986 the waters around the island became Spain's first marine reserve, with extensive meadows of Posidonia seagrass. Octopuses, sea urchins and dozens of fish species can be seen here, and the clear water makes Tabarca popular with divers and snorkellers. The boat from Alicante takes between about 45 minutes and an hour, while from Santa Pola it takes about 25 minutes; these are the only two ports with boats all year round. In summer there are also seasonal services from places such as Benidorm and Torrevieja. In the summer months the island can receive around 3,000 visitors a day, and one visitor suggests arriving as early in the morning as possible to have it almost to yourself for about two hours. Another reviewer writes that you can walk around the whole island in under an hour, and there are restaurants both by the harbour and the main beach and in the village. The local speciality is caldero, a traditional rice and fish dish: the fish is served first with potatoes and all i oli, followed by the rice, and according to the operator it has to be ordered in advance when you book your table. There are hotels and other places to stay, and the provinciadealicante.es portal recommends spending a night to see Tabarca once the day-trippers have left. One visitor complains about very pebbly beaches and strong wind, as well as a rolling crossing that can be hard on passengers prone to seasickness.