Isla del Fraile

Isla del Fraile (Friar's Island) 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. It has been declared a Protected Natural Area. It has been proposed that the oronym "Fraile" ("Friar") could have evolved from the term "farellón" (equivalent to farallón, 'sea stack'). 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.