l´Illa de Benidorm

L’Illa

According to the legend the Giant Roldán broke the top of Puig Campana mountain with his sword and the piece of the mountain that fell into the sea is Benidorm island.

Human presence on the island dates back to Neolithic times, about 7.000 years ago. Between XV and XVII  centuries it was a refuge for pirates who used it as a hideout and from where they attacked coastal villages.

In addition to its strategic situation the island was important for its fishing wealth as benefited both La Vila Joiosa and Benidorm for a long time.

On the island there are two lighthouses one of them is older than the other and it is out of order, the another was built in the second half of the XX century.

On its cliffs we find plants that are adapted to the scarcity of land and marine influence like the rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum), the brittle star (Asteriscus maritimus) and a species only found in the Comunidad Valenciana and surrounding areas the chickweed  (Sarcocapros Saetabensis).

We can also find one of the most important colonies of breeding on the Mediterranean, the storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus melitensis). It is a small bird that feeds on the high sea and comes to the island only at night.

Two species of gull can be seen on the island: the Caspian gull (Larus cachinnans) and Audouin’s gull (Larus audouinii), an endangered species.

At sea, depending on the time of the year, it is probable to see dolphins, cormorants and flying fishes.

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