Chafarinas Islands

The Chafarinas Islands are a small Spanish archipelago in the Alboran Sea off the north coast of Africa, administered as an overseas possession and noted for their seabird colonies. The group is small in area but important for wildlife and is under restricted access.

The islands are largely uninhabited except for a small permanent Spanish presence and are managed for defense and conservation purposes rather than tourism. Typical visitor activity is scientific or controlled visits rather than general public tourism.

Spain established control of the islands in the 19th century and they have since been used for military garrisoning and, more recently, for nature protection and monitoring of seabird populations.

Geographically the Chafarinas lie in the western Mediterranean Alboran Sea close to the Moroccan coast and form one of several small Spanish outposts along the North African shoreline.

• Conservation and access: Administered by Spain, the islands are a protected area with important seabird colonies and restricted public access, so visits require permission.
• Location note: They lie in the Alboran Sea off the north African coast and are closer to Morocco than to mainland Spain, giving them strategic and ecological significance.

What to See #

• Island group: Three small islands that form the group and are the basic geographic units of the archipelago; access to the islands is limited and managed for conservation and security.