Isla del Fraile
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El Fraile Island seen from the west
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  Location in Spain | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Águilas, Mediterranean Sea |
| Coordinates | 37°24′31″N 1°32′48″W / 37.40861°N 1.54667°W / 37.40861; -1.54667 |
| Area | 0.068 km2 (0.026 sq mi) |
| Length | 441 m (1447 ft) |
| Width | 258 m (846 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 92 m (302 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Autonomous Community | Region of Murcia |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 (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.
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