Boat Trip to Tabarca Island

A visit to the Tabarca Island, which was once a haven for pirates, usually lasts one day. There are numerous departure times from the port of Alicante, although the regularity of these depends upon the time of year. The boat ride is comfortable and lasts for around one hour. The island can also be reached from Santa Pola and Torrevieja.

Once on the island, visitors can enjoy the coves and beaches with their crystal-clear waters and a picturesque fishing port with excellent eateries offering the opportunity to try the traditional “caldero”, the island’s typical dish. We recommend a stroll through the town and a visit to the island’s museum. Visitors can now even enjoy an overnight stay on the island, thanks to the recent opening of accommodation.

The island of Tabarca is located at about twenty kilometers distance from the city of Alicante, and near the Santa Pola’s cape. It is 1,800 meters long and approximately 400 meters wide, and it is the biggest island which belongs to the Comunidad Valenciana and the only one which is inhabited.

Tabarca has a quite interesting history. All of 2km long and 300m wide, the island was a refuge for the Barbary pirates up to the end of the 18^th century. Around 1760, a group of sailors from the Tunesian town of the same name, which, at the time, was under the reign of the Republic of Genoa, shipwrecked near the island, were rescued and finally settled there together with a deployment of Spanish soldiers.

King Charles III of Spain decreed the fortification of Tabarca to protect against the pirates. As the boat approaches the harbour, the first thing you see are the remains of the wall, the fortress and the church.

Tabarca’s climate is mild, it has an annual average of 17ºC, and it is famous because of its clear waters both in its sand beaches –to the south- and its coves and cliffs surrounding the island.