Tabarca Island

Tabarca is a low flat island about eighteen kilometres off Alicante, and its population arrived in one act: in 1768 Charles III settled families of Genoese origin who had been captive on the Tunisian island of Tabarka, building them a walled town with three gates, a church and a governor's house, laid out on a grid. The walls survive and the town is protected. In 1986 the surrounding waters became Spain's first marine reserve, protecting Posidonia meadows that give exceptional water clarity and support fish populations that have recovered strongly, making it a well-known snorkelling and diving site. Around two hundred people live there year-round. The island's caldero, a fish and rice dish cooked in a pot, is the local speciality.

What you actually see

• The walled town - an eighteenth-century planned settlement with three gates.
• The marine reserve - Spain's first, with Posidonia meadows and clear water.
• The snorkelling - recovered fish populations in protected shallows.
• The caldero - the island's fish and rice dish, cooked in a pot.

When to go

May, June and September for warm water without the August crowds, when day-trip boats fill the island. Winter service is reduced and many businesses close. Boats are cancelled in wind.

Honest expectations

The island is small, walked in an hour, and packed with day visitors in summer. Facilities are limited and prices high, since everything arrives by boat. Boats are weather-dependent and can strand visitors.

Nearby

Santa Pola and Alicante are the main departure ports; the Salinas de Santa Pola lie on the mainland.