An islet is an insular territory smaller than an island . It is a region of small surface area that is surrounded by water and where there is usually no stable population.
In some cases, islet is used as a synonym for key or cliff . It must be taken into account, however, that there are keys that have thousands of inhabitants, such as Key West ( Key West ) in the United States .
An example of an islet is Santa Cruz del Islote , which is part of the Colombian archipelago of San Bernardo ( Cartagena de Indias ). Although less than 500 people live there, it is considered one of the most densely populated islets in the world , as it barely has a hectare of surface area.
The islet of Benidorm , meanwhile, is located off the coast of the city of the same name, in the Spanish province of Alicante ( Valencian Community ). This 7-hectare islet meets the traditional definition of the concept because it does not have permanent inhabitants; The curious thing is that a well-known restaurant operates on its lands to which diners arrive from the port of Benidorm thanks to a very popular excursion. The establishment's workers, in any case, do not spend the night on the islet but rather on the mainland.
One of the highlights of the islet of Benidorm is its environmental , landscape and ecological interest. Its surface measures about 400 square meters and it is considered the continuation of the Sierra Helada, a natural park in the Valencian Community. Towards the middle of the 19th century, more precisely in 1834, the islet welcomed various families from Villajoyosa and Benidorm due to a cholera epidemic.
This event was not the only one that centered on the islet that today is considered a space of luxury and relaxation. Long before, it had served as a base for the operations of various pirates who prepared their attacks on coastal settlements there.
Another well-known islet in Spain is the islet of Lobos , belonging to the Canary Islands archipelago. Since 1982 it has been protected as a natural park and offers various options to tourists who visit it thanks to the transportation service provided from the town of Corralejo .
The islet of Lobos is located in the Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Fuerteventura, one of the best-known islands of the archipelago , and is separated by the Bocaina Strait. It is a district (a subnational entity with a certain degree of autonomy over some of its territorial rights) of the province of Las Palmas.
The surface of the Lobos islet measures approximately 6 square kilometers. The town of Corralejo, which belongs to the municipality of La Oliva, is the place from which it can be observed most clearly. Another reference space is the channel called “Paso de la Orchilla” or “El Río”, which has a depth of less than ten meters and separates Lobos from Fuerteventura.
The name given to this islet is not due to the presence of canine seals, but rather sea lions. When they discovered it, it was the habitat of a large number of the so-called friar or monk seals , which are currently in danger of extinction . Fishermen in the area reduced their population to alarming levels because they claimed that fishing was less fruitful due to their presence.
The protection of Lobos Islet covers its entire territory , which is also known as the Islote de Lobos Natural Park . The number of plant species that we can find there exceeds one hundred and thirty. There are also notable species of birds, such as the great bustard, the Cory's shearwater and the herring gull.