Its name comes from the impression of the first navigators, Greeks and Latinos, who include them to their letters with the name of Ophiusa or Colubraria, admired by the abundance of snakes that they found there. The island burns to end the vipers (the last were seen at the end of the 19th century). Visited only by fishermen, smugglers and pirates until the beginning of the 19th century, the colonization of the archipelago took place in the middle of the 19th century with the construction of the island’s lighthouse (1856-1860).
The Columbretes are presented as one of the small island spaces of greatest ecological interest in the Mediterranean. They are formed by a series of islets and reefs located 30 miles from the coast of Castellón, about 56 km., And gathered in 4 groups, which is named after the largest of each of its islands: Illa Grossa, which is the only inhabited, the Ferrera, the Foradada and the Carallot. Seated on a background located about 80 meters deep, the Columbretes represent the best example of volcanism in our land. It highlights the Illa Grossa, formed by several chained craters, and the Carallot, which, with its 32 meters of height on the sea, is the geological testimony of the remains of the central chimney of a volcano. The Marine Reserve that surrounds the archipelago currently has an area of 5,543 ha.
Wildlife
It is dominated by colonies of nesting seabirds. The Audouin’s gull, the Cinderella shearwater, the Eleonora’s hawk and the shag, find in these islands the only nesting point of the Valencian Community. Among the animals, we can highlight, above all, the group of arthropods with 10 endemic insects. The faunal singularity culminates with the presence of an endemic species of lizard.
The interest of the islands multiplies when we submerge in their seabed. The complicated topography of these sea beds, full of rocks, banks and lowlands is the natural refuge for many species overexploited by fishing in our sea. In addition to an exceptional richness of species and variety of benthonic communities, singularities such as red coral and Laminaria redriguezi algae appear very scarce in our sea.
Vegetation
The plants take advantage of the little rains to bloom and disperse the seeds quickly. Between March and the beginning of June, depending on the rains, we can enjoy a burst of colors and smells on the island that we will need to imagine if we visit it during the summer.
Two endemic species stand out: the maritime masthesis of Columbretes (Lobularia maritima columbretensis) and the arboreal alfalfa (Medicago citrina). The predominant plant is the fine soda (Suaeda vera) that covers mainly «Illa Grossa». Other outstanding ones are the marine carrot (Daucus gingidium), the sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum), the cambrón (Lycium intrincatum) and the paternostrera (Withania frutescens).
Visit to Illa Grossa: Itinerary Tofiño port to the lighthouse
Due to the fragility of the islands, it is only possible to visit the Illa Grossa. The itinerary is made in small groups of people always accompanied by the monitors or by the guards, who will explain the most relevant aspects of the reservation. The visit lasts between one and two hours. The walk will take us from the stairs of the port of Illa Grossa to the lighthouse, passing through the Visitors Center where there is an exhibition about human history and fishing in the surroundings of the Columbretes. During the trip we can observe numerous birds and marine birds, lizards, insects and the most representative plants of the island flora; all this nestled in a majestic volcanic landscape.
Visit to the Information Center
The Information Center of the Columbretes Islands Nature Reserve is located in the Planetari de Castelló. It has an exhibition about the islands and about the world of fishing. It can work in a self-guided way with the phrase of a fisherman as the guiding thread of the explanation. There are projections and conferences room where you can watch videos, audiovisuals and make talks.