Simon Wade
TABARCA and its 72 inhabitants will soon enjoy a new connection with Santa Pola, the nearest mainland port.
Regular ferry connections to the island off the Costa Blanca are usually restricted to the summer months, but recent years have seen a grass-roots campaign to allow for routes all year around.
Finally, the General Directorate of Ports of the Ministry of Mobility agreed to an extended schedule this week.
The timetable has yet to be defined, but a daily departure from the island is expected to leave early in the morning, with a return trip around noon.
‘Tabarquinos’ claim that a year-round ferry will ‘deseasonalise’ the island and create a strong economy during the cooler months.
Locals cite the island of La Graciosa, in the Canaries, which connected daily with Lanzarote some 14 years ago.
It allowed a healthy expansion in population, the opening of numerous shops and even a primary school.
While not one of the Tabarca residents has caught the virus, it remains in ‘Phase 1’ because it is technically part of Alicante province.
The president of Tabarca’s neighborhood association, Carmen Marti, said: “We want regular transport to the island throughout the year because mobility must be guaranteed, as it is everywhere.”
Previously, Marti had demanded the service ‘because we feel abandoned.’
Tabarca is the smallest populated island throughout the whole of Spain, measuring just 0.3km squared.
Throughout the summer, an abundance of quality seafood restaurants enjoy a healthy trade.
The waters around the island, a protected marine reserve since 1986, are renowned among snorkelers and SCUBA divers for their clear waters.
