The Med’s smallest inhabited island with only 50 residents – where temperatures hit 20C in mid-winter & hotels cost £50

EUROPE is location to hundreds of stunning small islands that you whitethorn not person heard of - but are large for avoiding the crowds.

One of those places is Tabarca - the lone inhabited land successful Valencia.

Located 11 miles disconnected the seashore of Alicante, Tabarca is really portion of a tiny archipelago consisting of tiny islets similar Cantera, La Galera and La Nao.

Stretching for conscionable 1,800m successful magnitude and measuring conscionable 400m astatine its widest point, it's not astonishing that Tabarca is location to conscionable 50 people.

The tiny Mediterranean island was utilized by pirates whenever they needed refuge until King Carlos III ordered the land to beryllium fortified.

A municipality was past built connected the land to location sailors who were being held captive successful Tunisia.

The sailors were granted support to unrecorded wrong Tabarca's walls alongside a Spanish garrison and barracks.

Both the island's politician and garrison were removed successful 1850, with the Tabarca's colonisation dwindling successful the second fractional of the 19th century.

Nowadays, the land has conscionable 50 year-round residents, making it the smallest permanently inhabited land successful Spain.

The fortified walls person been declared a Historical and Artistic Site and an Asset of Cultural Interest and the Governor's House remains connected the land though it is present utilized arsenic a hotel.

Surrounded by crystal-clear waters, Tabarca is location to secluded coves and sandy beaches.

Tarbaca Beach, besides known arsenic Platja de l’Illa oregon Central Beach, is the astir fashionable formation connected the land acknowledgment to its proximity to the main town.

At the beach, visitors tin rent parasols and umbrellas, with respective restaurants lining the promenade.

Other beaches connected the land see Platja Gran and Birros Cove, which is cleanable for snorkelling.

The weather successful Tabarca is reasonably lukewarm passim the year, with temperatures reaching 20C adjacent successful mid-winter.

There are respective different attractions connected the island, including Museum Nueva Tabarca - a section depository detailing the past of Tabarca.

The depository is unfastened from Wednesday to Sunday passim the winter, opening astatine 11am.

Given the island's history, determination are plentifulness of absorbing buildings to sojourn connected Tabarca.

One of those is St. Peter and Paul’s Church, an 18th period religion with oversea views.

There's besides the San Gabriel Gate (an past ceramic gate), San José Tower (an 18th-century garrison fortress) and Tabarca Lighthouse.

Local delicacies connected the land see caldero - a two-course repast wherever some food and atom are served.

Despite being a fashionable spot with day-trippers, visitors tin really enactment overnight connected the island, with accommodation options from £50 per night.

Direct ferries run from Alicante to Tabarca, with instrumentality tickets from €23 (£19.10) per person.

There are besides 2 different nonstop ferry routes from the Spanish mainland that run from Santa Pola and Benidorm.