Tabarca island from Torrevieja: boat times, prices and what to expect

Getting there

From Torrevieja: tourist boats leave the marina side of the port in the morning in summer, about an hour across, returning mid-afternoon; buy tickets at the kiosks on the port the day before in August. From Santa Pola: the reliable route all year. Drive 30 minutes north, park by the port, and take one of the ferries that run every 30 to 60 minutes in summer and a few times a day in winter, 25 minutes across. Glass-bottom boats and sailing charters from Torrevieja are the pricier, prettier options.

On the island

You land at the harbour by the main beach, a sheltered bay of sand and pebbles that fills by noon. Walk through the 18th-century walls into the village: a church, a few streets, a lighthouse at the far end. The water is the point: Tabarca was Spain’s first marine reserve (1986) and the snorkelling off the rocks on the north shore and around the islets is the clearest you will find on this coast. Lunch is caldero, the fishermen’s rice; every restaurant does it, book the one with the sea terrace by 13:30.

Timing and tips

• Take the first boat and the mid-afternoon return; the island empties by 17:00.
• Water shoes: the best swimming spots are rock.
• There is little shade. Hat, umbrella, factor 50.
• Cash for the small bars; cards work in the restaurants.
• Check the sea state: boats cancel in a strong levante wind.