Cabrera, Balearic Islands

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Cabrera (Latin: Capraia) is one of the minor Balearic Islands belonging to Spain, just south of Majorca, in the Mediterranean Sea, at approximately 39° 9' N, 3° E.

It is the largest of a small archipelago of islands and islets, including (from south to north) the Estells de Fora, L'Imperial, Cabrera itself, Illa de ses Bledes, Na Redona, Conillera, L'Esponja, Na Plana, Illot Pla, Na Pobra, and Na Foradada.

Cabrera was used as a reclusion camp for French prisoners during the Napoleonic wars. From the 9000 prisoners sent to Cabrera, only 3600 survived.

Late 1916 due to the stay by hours and failure of an Austro-Hungarian Navy submarine, the Spanish government decided to expropriate the island for defense reasons. Other versions says that the majorcan businessman Juan March Ordinas avoiding the blockade, sold in the island environments (Cala Ganduf, S'Olla) goods and fuel for the submarines until a strong protest to Spain neutral status, forced by the British Admirality ahead Winston Churchill as First Lord.

It remained a military zone until the 1980s, although some Mallorcan civilians rented land for agriculture.

In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, a republican airplane (Dornier Wal D-1) fell near the island. The crew were captured by rebel (i.e., pro-Franco) forces, but two republican submarines (B2 and B3) sent by order of Pedro Marqués Barber (an old officer and former military Minorca governor) came immediately and armed sailors surrendered the little island. The Cabrera military officer chief, Facundo Flores Horrach, a Spanish military retired, Major Mariano Ferrer Bravo and three civilian prisoners (father and two young males of Suñer Mas family) were taken to Minorca and executed. After the failure of Captain Alberto Bayo Column landing in Mallorca, 15 August to 4 September, the republicans left Cabrera.

During the WWII (1944) a German airplane in a northern Africa operative travel flight crashed on the sea, close to the island. One of the crew, Johanes Blocher, died and was buried in the small cemetery of the island. There the rest remained until later were taken to the German Memorial of Yuste (Extremadura), along with the war companions fallen in Spanish ground.

Cabrera is administratively grouped with Mallorca, belonging to the municipality of Palma de Mallorca as former Santa Catalina district.

The whole archipelago is a national park of Spain (Parque Nacional del Archipiélago de Cabrera). Cabrera is a cruising destination, and boats may anchor in the island's natural harbour*, though some areas of the coast are prohibited due to ecological sensitivity. Hiking is available, and there is a tourist information office, a museum, and a 14th-century castle as well as a gift shop and cafe. The park covers 100 km² (13 km² land). The park attracts few visitors due to its remote nature and had a permanent population well below 100.

See List of Spanish national parks.

  • Boats are forbidden from anchoring anywhere around the island due to the fragile marine life that exists there, many species survive there that are found rarely around the balearics, such as Dolphins and Sea Snails, diving is strictly prohibited and a licence must be sought from the government in advance for a one day pass. Due to this fact excursions to the island are a rare event and are treasured by the diving community.

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Coordinates: 39°09′N, 2°57′E