El Fraile Island
El Fraile Island (Friar's Island; Spanish: Isla del Fraile) is a steep island located east of the urban centre of Águilas (Murcia), Spain. It has infra-Mediterranean vegetation and one of the richest seabeds in the southeast of the peninsula, especially due to its populations of oceanic Posidonia. It is a place of passage and sighting of dolphins and has an important colony of seagulls. Geologically it belongs to the Subbaetic System, as a part of the Maláguide and Alpujárride systems. During the Late Roman period (5th c.), a garum factory was erected in the island, with several processing vats.[1] It has been declared a Protected Natural Area.
Isla del Fraile | |
|---|---|
 El Fraile Island seen from the west | |
  El Fraile Island Location in Spain | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Águilas, Mediterranean Sea |
| Coordinates | 37°24′31″N 1°32′48″W |
| Area | 0.068 km2 (0.026 sq mi) |
| Length | 441 m (1447 ft) |
| Width | 258 m (846 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 92 m (302 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Autonomous Community | Region of Murcia |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 (2023) |
It has been proposed that the oronym "Fraile" ("Friar") could have evolved from the term "farellón" (equivalent to farallón, 'sea stack').[2]
It is a popular place for practicing nautical sports due to its particular orography and the protection it offers from the east, the predominant wind on its coast.
References
- Quevedo, Alejandro; Hernández, Juan de Dios (2020). "La isla del Fraile: una nueva propuesta de investigación arqueológica (Águilas, España)". Saguntum. 52: 135–152.
- Llamazares, Ángel (1989). "Toponimia de Águilas: orónimos e hidrónimos". Anales de filología hispánica. 4: 127–146.