The Columbretes: Volcanic Islands Off Castellón
Valencia, Spain
Badge Unlock
Columbretes Explorer
Complete this challenge to add this badge to your collection.
300
XP
+100 Spain
= 400 total
1 day
The Columbretes: Volcanic Islands Off Castellón
300 + 100 XP
The Columbretes are volcanic cones sticking out of the Mediterranean 49 kilometres off Castellón, uninhabited except for the lighthouse keepers who used to live there, and named from the Latin coluber for the snakes that infested them — the 19th-century lighthouse builders burned the vegetation off to clear them. Left alone since, the islands and the water round them became a marine reserve in 1990 covering 400 square kilometres, and the diving is the best on the Spanish Mediterranean coast because nothing has been fished out of it for a generation.
Required Activities
1
of 4
Take a boat to the Columbretes Islands, 49km off the coast near Oropesa del Mar, a volcanic archipelago whose name comes from the Latin coluber for its snakes
2
of 4
Dive in the Columbretes marine reserve, protected since 1990 and covering 400 square kilometres
3
of 4
Climb to the lighthouse on Illa Grossa, the largest island at 67m, standing in an ancient volcanic crater
4
of 4
Look for Audouin's gulls, of which the islands hold one of the world's most important colonies
Take a boat to the Columbretes Islands, 49km off the coast near Oropesa del Mar, a volcanic archipelago whose name comes from the Latin coluber for its snakes
Dive in the Columbretes marine reserve, protected since 1990 and covering 400 square kilometres
Climb to the lighthouse on Illa Grossa, the largest island at 67m, standing in an ancient volcanic crater
Look for Audouin's gulls, of which the islands hold one of the world's most important colonies
Before you go
Access is by licensed boat only and numbers are capped; landing and diving both need permits arranged in advance. The crossing takes about two hours and is cancelled in rough weather.
Finding nearby campsites...
About Valencia
Loading region info…
Explore more about Valencia:
Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
300 XP
Spain country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
400 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in Spain.
More challenges nearby
within 100km
Peñíscola: The Templar Castle Where the Antipope Held Out
Spain · Valencia
active
medium
1d
56 km away
Vinaròs and Benicarló: Llagostí, Artichokes and a Working Fishing Coast
Spain · Valencia
food
easy
1d
66 km away
Ulldecona: Rock Art on the Ports Edge
Spain · Catalonia
cultural
medium
1d
80 km away
Sagunto: Eight Months Against Hannibal
Spain · Valencia
history
easy
1d
86 km away
The Ebro Delta: Audouin's Gulls, Rice Fields and the River Mouth
Spain · Catalonia
wildlife
easy
1d
91 km away