Columbretes Island Cruises
The Columbretes Islands are a group of small uninhabited islets of volcanic origin, in the Mediterranean Sea, 30 nautical miles off Oropesa del Mar in Castellan (Spain). The main islets are Illa Grossa (or Columbrete Grande), La Ferrera, La Foradada and El Carallot. The added up emerged area of all four is around 0,19 km' ² and the highest peak 67 m.
Since 1988 the archipelago is a natural park, appreciated by sea birds as an optimal place for their reproductive activities. The local colony of Audouin's Gulls, a species listed as Near Threatened globally, is one of the most important in the world and key to the species ongoing recovery in the Spanish Mediterranean. This is also one of the few stable locations of Eleanora's Falcon in Spain. The submerged area is as much relevant in terms of conservation and it covers 400 km' ² where an important community of submarine wildlife thrives undisturbed. It became protected as a Marine reserve in 1990.