The marine reserve of Cabo de Palos and Islas Hormigas is a natural underwater
area protected since 1995, ensuring conservation of the seabed fauna and flora, one of the best preserved in the Mediterranean region. Additionally,
scuba diving lovers will be delighted by the shipwrecks resting on the seabed such as
Sirio, a cruise ship sank in 1906, and
Naranjito, cargo ship that wrecked in 1946.
Some two nautical miles from the coast of Cartagena, opposite
Cabo de Palos, there is a group of little islands known as Islas Hormigas, with the largest one being 200 meters in length and 13 in height.
The seabed, sand banks and large shallow areas around these islands, as well as intense sea traffic that has sailed near the islands for centuries, have resulted in abundant archaeological sites in the area. To warn on the dangers of sailing near the islands, the so-called
Hormiga Island Lighthouse was built.