Illa de l'Aire

Illa de l'Aire  (Isla del Aire)
View of the island from Punta Prima
Waters	Mediterranean Sea
Archipelago	Balearic Islands
Geographical location	39 ° 48 '3 "  N , 4 ° 17' 24"  E Coordinates: 39 ° 48 '3 "  N , 4 ° 17' 24"  E
length	1.2 km
width	300 m
surface	34 ha
Highest elevation	15  m
Residents	uninhabited

Illa de l'Aire (Spanish: Isla del Aire ) is an uninhabited island in the Mediterranean Sea, southeast of the Balearic island of Menorca . It is located south of the district of Punta Prima in the municipality of Sant Lluís . The only buildings on the 34 hectare island are the Far de l'Illa de l'Aire lighthouse , a warehouse and the former home of the lighthouse keeper . A narrow street connects these buildings with the small northwestern supply port on the island. The lighthouse was commissioned in 1860 and modernized several times in the 20th century. Until 1978 it was the tallest lighthouse in the Balearic Islands and marks the sea route to the port of Maó .

The numerous caves on the island, whose entrances are below the waterline, are now a popular diving area in Menorca. Dives are offered under the guidance of local diving schools.

One of the features of the island, in addition to numerous colonies of seabirds the presence of the Balearic shearwater ( Puffinus mauretanicus ) and the endemic black lizards la sargantana negra ( Podarcis lilfordi lilfordi ) of the genus sargantana gimnèsia , one of at Mauereidechsen occurring melanistic forms. In 1993 the islands were declared a biosphere reserve to protect typical landscapes and included in the UNESCO agreements . The island is privately owned.

See also

• Islands in the Menorca administrative region

Web links

Commons : Illa de l'Aire  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana : illa de l'Aire , accessed 23 September 2015

Remarks

1. ↑ Martin Eisentraut : The lizards of the Spanish Mediterranean islands and their racial division in the light of evolution. In: Communications from the Zoological Museum Berlin. 26, 1949, pp. 1-225.