Dragonera

Dragonera ( German: " The Dragon's Island" ) is an uninhabited rocky island off the central western coast of the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca. It is separated from it by the 780 -meter-wide canal of the Great. Dragonera belongs to the group of Mallorca Balearic Islands.

The island has an area of ​​Dragonera 288 acres, while it has an area of ​​4.2 km length and a width of up to 900 meters. Politically Dragonera belongs to the municipality of Andratx. At the highest elevation, 353 meters high Na Popia, is the former lighthouse Far Vell, which is why the mountain is also called Puig des Far Vell.

The island was purchased in 1987 by the Island Council of Majorca and by adopting 7/1995 of 26 January 1995 the Government of the Balearic Islands, along with the Mallorca islands It Pantaleu and Illa Mitjana (39 ° 35 ' 8 " N, 2 ° 20' 29.5 " O39.5855659930562.341526 ) declared a nature reserve Dragonera.

Geography

Appearance

When viewed in longitudinal section, as of Sant Elm, the island offers actually the sight of a dragon: In the southwest at Cap des Llebeig of the water -bearing head, a Rückengrat with the " scales" Puig des Aucells (312 m) and Na Popia ( 353 m) and a feathered drop tail to Cap de Tramuntana in the north-east.

In cross-section, however, seen some of the north-east of the island resembles a right-angled triangle: While the country from the southeast steep, but accessible, rises to the open Mediterranean, facing north-west side is a cliff where the rock several hundred meters deep, mostly vertical, overhanging part, drop to the sea.

Country shape

From the natural harbor of Cala Lladó a little valley pulls up to the edge of the island, where the water collects and some arable terraces have been created. The rest of the island is rocky, interspersed vegetation or steep craggy. The northwest side form inaccessible precipices.

To the northeast of the island today leads an applied way to the southwest streets.

Fauna

On Dragonera is an endemic subspecies of the Balearic lizard has emerged which Dragonera Lizard ( Podarcis lilfordi ssp. Giglioli ). It is - in addition to obstetricians toads - probably the only terrestrial vertebrate that was home before the arrival of man on the island.

The Eleonora's Falcon (Falco eleonorae ) has in the Northwest Cliffs of the island 's largest breeding colony in the western Mediterranean. Here also breeds the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). Until the 1950s, lived in caves in the south-east coast still Mediterranean monk seals. A cave near Cala Lladó is today - called " Cova des Vell Marí " - after the Catalan name of these animals.

Other typical species are:

• The bald or Mittelmeermöwe (Larus cachinnans michahellis )
• The Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala )
• The robin (Erithacus rubecula)

Flora

On Dragonera there are about 380 plant species. A quarter of occur in the Balearic Islands species is represented here. Approximately 5 % of which are endemic. In particular, the north-western rock crashes - moist, sonnenarm and inaccessible for centuries on the island domestic herbivores - are a haven for many species of plants. Here also grows a lichen, which was formerly in high demand as a fabric dye and was harvested for this purpose by the Majorcan risking their lives.

Add the salt wind and waves exposed coastal strip adapted plants thrive as the samphire ( Crithmum maritimum ). Endemic to the nature park and the adjacent Dragonera Mallorcan coastline is a Strandfliederart, Limonium dragonericum. The Dornlattich ( Launaea cervicornis ) is only found in Mallorca and Menorca.

The vast area of ​​the island is dominated by Mediterranean maquis. Widely used here are, for example rosemary bushes (Rosmarinus officinalis).

Climate

The average rainfall is 350 mm. During the months of September and December, the most rainfall are registered.

History

There is a Roman burial ground in the area of ​​Es Lladó area. Further evidence for a pre-or early settlements lacking.

The island was for centuries primarily focal point and base for pirates. In a cave they found an underground lake, 40 m deeper than the cave entrance. There they could be with, though somewhat brackish, provide drinking water. To prevent this, the cave was finally closed with a huge boulder.

In the 18th century two watchtowers were erected to stop the pirates stop. Around this time was a Spanish king built on the top of the island is a pleasure palace. Up there a navigable for donkey cart path was built, which is now restored and visitors to the island today leading up to the tip of the island.

Then the island long time been largely left to their own and became a home for birds and reptiles. The Lighthouses of Tramuntana (north) and Llebeig (southwest ) took in 1910 on their operation and thus replaced the old lighthouse Far Vell. Since 1941 there was a small farm in the area of ​​Cala Lladó.

In the early 1970s acquired a banking syndicate the island and created plans for several supposedly natural holiday villages on the island. A marina, heliports, a casino and other infrastructure should arise. Although the plans had already been approved, managed conservationists with broad support from the Malloquiner to delay the start of construction and over again. Finally, the Island Council Dragonera bought to convert the island into a sanctuary.

Tourist

Dragonera is only accessible from Sant Elm and Port d' Andratx with boats and a nature reserve. The natural harbor of Sa Dragonera located in the bay Cala Lladó, German in about: Robber bay. Immediately at the natural harbor there is a small ranger station. Here there are guided tours in Spanish on the island. It is also possible to explore the island on your own.

Others

• In the film adaptation of the novel Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie, the island is shown in the opening and closing credits as a fictitious scene of the action ( but was actually filmed in Mallorca and in a London film studio ).
• In the detective novel Majorcan blood of Martín Solanes (actually Martine Mairal ), leads to track down the crime on just this dragon island.

Maps

• Mapa Topografico Nacional de España 1:25000, ed. by the Instituto Nacional Geográfico (Madrid ), sheets 697 - II and 697 -IV