The island and its history
The island of Tabarca or also known as Nueva Tabarca, is a small island located 8 km in front of Santa Pola and 22 km from Alicante. It is the largest island in the Valencia Community and the only inhabited one.
Its size is 1800 meters long and 450 meters wide. It lacks trees and the vegetation is scarce. In the village stands the Governor's House (now transformed into a hotel), the church of San Pedro and the remains of the wall. Currently there are barely a dozen inhabitants who live there throughout the year, although in the summer season the arrival of visitors and tourists makes them reach several hundred.
The island was in the fifteenth and sixteenth century a refuge base for Barbary pirates. These were Muslim pirates who moved around the area of North Africa and used to attack Christian ships.
To put an end to piracy, King Charles III ordered it fortified and repopulated with fishermen from Genoa who were captives in the Tunisian city of Tabarka, hence its name.
The remains of the walls surrounding the town center date back to that period. They are well preserved, especially the three gates: the gate of San Rafael, which is on the Levante side; the gate of San Gabriel, facing west, and the gate of San Miguel, overlooking the city of Alicante, which leads to a cliff known by the locals as the 'Old Port'.
How to get there?
The best way to get to Tabarca is from the port of Santa Pola. It is only nine kilometers away and many boats leave at different times throughout the day. However, you can also get there from Alicante, Torrevieja and even Benidorm. We tell you how to get to Tabarca easily from each port, and if it is the first time you travel to Tabarca, we want to give you some recommendations to make your experience great from the beginning.
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