Formentera and the Posidonia Meadows
Balearic Islands, Spain
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Posidonia
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250
XP
+100 Spain
= 350 total
1 day
Formentera and the Posidonia Meadows
250 + 100 XP
Formentera is nineteen kilometres long, six kilometres south of Ibiza, and the reason its water is that colour is a plant. Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass, not an alga, and the clonal colony found south of Ibiza in 2006, running down to La Savina and Es Pujols on Formentera, is eight kilometres across and estimated at 100,000 years old — possibly one of the largest and oldest living organisms on earth. It filters the water, holds the sand bars in place and is part of the UNESCO listing of 1999. It is also dying where boats anchor on it, which is why anchoring over seagrass is now illegal here.
Required Activities
1
of 5
Snorkel over the Posidonia meadow and work out that the clarity of the water is caused by the plant beneath it
2
of 5
Find out what it is: a clonal seagrass colony found in 2006, eight kilometres across, estimated at 100,000 years old
3
of 5
Cycle the island end to end — nineteen kilometres, flat, and the sensible way to get about
4
of 5
Walk out to the Far de la Mola lighthouse at the eastern end, on the cliffs above the open Mediterranean
5
of 5
Work out why anchoring over seagrass is banned here, and what boat anchors do to a 100,000-year-old plant
Snorkel over the Posidonia meadow and work out that the clarity of the water is caused by the plant beneath it
Find out what it is: a clonal seagrass colony found in 2006, eight kilometres across, estimated at 100,000 years old
Cycle the island end to end — nineteen kilometres, flat, and the sensible way to get about
Walk out to the Far de la Mola lighthouse at the eastern end, on the cliffs above the open Mediterranean
Work out why anchoring over seagrass is banned here, and what boat anchors do to a 100,000-year-old plant
Before you go
Anchoring over Posidonia is illegal and heavily fined. Formentera is reached only by ferry from Ibiza and vehicle numbers are capped in summer.
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Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
250 XP
Spain country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
350 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in Spain.
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