Medas islands

Near the Estartit in the Costa Brava, and to not more than one mile of distance from the coast, is the beautiful archipelago of the Medas islands, important natural reserve of fauna and flora with 21 hectares of extension and famous marine bottoms by its wealth in species and different atmospheres, some rocky others formed by extensive sand banks. 

Possibly one of the best places to dive in our Mediterranean coast, and with very seductive landscapes by its attractive corners, stumbling blocks, hollows and caves.  A rough but calm relief to enjoy the nature and to vibrate with our surroundings.  A territory in which to cast anchor and to relax, to listen to the sounds of the gulls or cormorants and to spend a wonderful day of sea.

In spite of their small extension and robust aspect, on the Medas innumerable historical episodes have been developed. The first inhabitants were Greek retailers, whose rest found in the islands agree with the vestiges of appeared Greek establishments in Roses. It is possible that the great Meda was used formerly like necrópolis given the great number of human rest found as well as different objects like small lacrimatorios glasses.

During the average age, medas became refuge for plunderers who threatened the marine commerce and carried out acts from piracy to near towns of the coast. For that reason it was constructed to a tower of defense and a monastery run by the horsemen of santo tomb in the great Meda, that later was left by the high price that supposed to maintain it with activity. In 1442 the Genoveses attacked the place and burned the chapel of San Miguel. The rest were disappearing with the passage of the years. 

In 1794 the French later built a fortification invaded by the English turned that it into military prison.  Again recovered through the durantes French the wars against Napoleón, they happened finally to Spanish dominion with those who a military trimming stayed until 1890. The old light of the time of Isabel II still stays, although partly destroyed, and was replaced in 1930 on the other, surrounded by rest by old batteries and military constructions. At the moment it works automated and with photovoltaic energy.

The norm of protection dictated by the Catalan Autonomous Government in 1985, that determined a forbidden zone of fishing around the islands, has been extended to allow to the conservation of the flora and fauna of its marine bottom.

The application of this law turns to the Medas Islands into the greater marine natural park of Catalonia and into one of most important of all the Mediterranean

The use of the anchor by respect to the marine bottom is prohibited, given its great wealth of fauna, and for that reason we must be moored to one of the buoys anticipated for such maneuver. The best thing is because to use a small boat or a inflatable aid to cross handspan to handspan its coast in whom we will discover small caves like the one of the Racó or the one of Cuatera in which a vertical wall begins from which to contemplate in the distance the end of Creus. In the small Meda it will appear a well-known playita like the Portixol from which to be able to make one short trip to the top of the island in which to delight