ARCHIVED - Alicante police step up summer surveillance on Tabarca island
Police presence has been reinforced on the island off Alicante coast ahead of the anticipated arrival of 250,000 tourists.
The Guardia Civil in Alicante has stepped up its summer surveillance on Tabarca with an estimated 250,000 tourists expected to visit the island over the next three months.
From this week, officers from Alicante will travel to the island every day until September 15 to ensure compliance with anti-Covid measures, "maintain public safety", monitor maritime traffic, control underwater activities, as well as boat events, parties and sports competitions.
The island of Tabarca on the Costa Blanca is the smallest in Spain, with an area of ​​22 square kilometres, and a permanent population of just 50 people.
Located 8 km from the Port of Santa Pola, the island's economy is reliant on tourism, having been declared a Historic-Artistic Site and Asset of Cultural Interest, and has recorded peaks of 10,000 visitors in a single day.
IMAGE: Guardia Civil