Chinijo Archipelago Nature Park

In 1986, it was announced that the Chinijo Archipelago Nature Park is the first terrestrial-marine Nature Park in Spain. It is the largest marine reserve in Europe with an area of 9112 hectares. The park includes the islands of Graciosa, Alegranza, Montana Clara, Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste and the sea environment that surrounds them.

The only inhabited island of the Chinijo Archipelago is Graciosa. On it is legally forbidden to mass construction and development of industry, which swept the Canary Islands in recent decades. There are no hotels and tourist complexes. The landscape of the island is deserted with golden sandy beaches. There are no asphalt roads on the island, and the only way to get around is by bicycles or old jeep safaris - licensed cabs.

The marine environment of the islets retains a unique richness due to the diversity of habitats and includes 228 species of fish. The waters of the archipelago are also rich in other exotic subtropical species, both animals and plants, such as barnacles, spiny starfish, lobsters, etc. A large variety of small algae attracts cetaceans to the waters of the park, especially during the migration months.

The archipelago has a vital importance for nesting seabirds, birds of prey and other rare birds. It is also one of the most important sectors of the Canary Islands for migratory birds. Therefore, the Chinijo Archipelago was declared a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA) in 1994.

There are many seabirds on the islets, which have their own colonies for breeding here. Of these, seven species nest, such as the exuberant petrels Peinialbo and Madeira, small petrels. Another group of birds are raptors, represented by osprey, eleonore falcons and others. On the island of Alegranza there is a preserved nesting of the Mediterranean petrel (almost 10 thousand pairs). It is the second largest in the world.

There are few mammals, of which the endemic, the Canary shrew, should be noted. Among reptiles we should mention three endemic species of Canary geckos. There are 14 endemic species of terrestrial invertebrates found in the Park.

Despite the fact that the Chinijo Archipelago Nature Park is positioned primarily as a biosphere reserve, for those who come here by yachts, and for tourists in general, the most accessible for viewing are landscape formations, as observations of birds and other wildlife require a considerable amount of time.

There are 120 species of lichens in the Nature Park. There are also 390 taxa of vascular flora, of which about 62 are endemics of the Canary Islands. The best represented vegetation is that of salt marshes.