Tabarca celebrates double honour as one of Spain’s most beautiful beaches

Tabarca has double reason to celebrate after being named among Spain’s 25 most beautiful beaches for 2026 while marking 40 years since its surrounding waters became the country’s first marine fishing reserve.

National Geographic’s latest selection places the tiny island, just off Santa Pola, alongside some of Spain’s most celebrated beaches and coves.

National Geographic recognises Tabarca among Spain’s most beautiful beaches

The publication highlights Tabarca’s clear Mediterranean waters, natural character and Posidonia oceanica meadows, which help support a rich marine ecosystem.

Yet there is far more to Tabarca than its coastline. Once used by pirates, the island was permanently settled in the 18th century when King Carlos III ordered the construction of a fortified town.

Its first settlers included Genovese families rescued from captivity in Algiers, whose heritage remains part of the island’s identity today.

Its walls, gateways, church and distinctive street plan helped earn Tabarca recognition as a Historic-Artistic Site in 1964.

Spain’s first marine fishing reserve marks its 40th anniversary

But 2026 also marks an important environmental anniversary for the small Costa Blanca island.

Tabarca’s marine reserve was created in 1986, becoming the first of its kind in Spain.

Four decades later, the protected waters cover 1,754 hectares and remain a national reference for combining marine conservation with sustainable traditional fishing.

The protection of the waters surrounding Tabarca has become an important part of the island’s identity, alongside its historic buildings and distinctive Mediterranean landscape.

Forty years of protection add to Tabarca’s national recognition

The anniversary adds extra weight to National Geographic’s recognition, showing that Tabarca’s appeal lies not only in its appearance, but in the history and natural world preserved around it.

Its combination of clear waters, Posidonia meadows, historic fortifications and protected marine environment has helped make the island one of the most distinctive destinations along the Costa Blanca.

For residents, the accolade is another reminder that one of Spain’s nationally recognised treasures sits just offshore from Santa Pola.

Forty years of protection have helped keep this little island remarkable, and its inclusion among Spain’s 25 most beautiful beaches gives Tabarca another reason to celebrate in 2026.