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Isla del Fraile

Coordinates: 37°24′31″N 1°32′48″W / 37.40861°N 1.54667°W / 37.40861; -1.54667
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Isla del Fraile
Isla del Fraile
El Fraile Island seen from the west
Isla del Fraile is located in Spain
Isla del Fraile
Location in Spain
Geography
LocationÁguilas, Mediterranean Sea
Coordinates37°24′31″N 1°32′48″W / 37.40861°N 1.54667°W / 37.40861; -1.54667
Area0.068 km2 (0.026 sq mi)
Length441 m (1447 ft)
Width258 m (846 ft)
Highest elevation92 m (302 ft)
Administration
Autonomous CommunityRegion of Murcia
Demographics
Population0 (2023)

Isla del Fraile (Friar's Island) is a steep island located east of the urban centre of Águilas (Murcia), Spain. It has infra-Mediterranean vegetation and one of the richest seabeds in the southeast of the peninsula, especially due to its populations of oceanic Posidonia. It is a place of passage and sighting of dolphins and has an important colony of seagulls. Geologically it belongs to the Subbaetic System, as a part of the Maláguide and Alpujárride systems. During the Late Roman period (5th c.), a garum factory was erected in the island, with several processing vats.[1][2] It has been declared a Protected Natural Area.

It has been proposed that the oronym "Fraile" ("Friar") could have evolved from the term "farellón" (equivalent to farallón, 'sea stack').[3]

It is a popular place for practicing nautical sports due to its particular orography and the protection it offers from the east, the predominant wind on its coast.

References

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  1. ^ Quevedo, Alejandro; Hernández, Juan de Dios (2020). "La isla del Fraile: una nueva propuesta de investigación arqueológica (Águilas, España)". Saguntum. 52: 135–152.
  2. ^ Quevedo, Alejandro; Hernández, Juan de Dios; Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, Mario; Moreno-Martín, Francisco José; Mukai, Tomoo; Capelli, Claudio (2024). "Impact of trading networks on a small island at the end of Late Antiquity: Isla del Fraile". Antiquity. 98(397) (e5): 135–152.
  3. ^ Llamazares, Ángel (1989). "Toponimia de Águilas: orónimos e hidrónimos". Anales de filología hispánica. 4: 127–146.