Isla del Fraile, island very near the coast of
Águilas, is part of the Subbetic mountain range geologically speaking, with a very steep terrain and a surface area of some 6 hectares. The island, which takes its name from its similarity to a friar hood ("
fraile" means friar), is categorized as
Site of Community Importance and
Special Bird Protected Area.
Together with
Cigarro beach-Amarilla beach, it is part of a rich archaeological area where there are a Roman salted fish production plant, an esparto grass washing place and a number of mining infrastructures.