Santa Clara Island (San Sebastian) facts for kids
Santa Clara Island (which is Isla de Santa Clara in Spanish and Santa Klara uhartea in Basque) is a small island in San Sebastián, Spain. It sits right in the middle of the city's bay, between two big mountains called Urgull and Igueldo.
The island is about 400 meters (1,312 feet) wide and rises 48 meters (157 feet) high. It has steep sides, but there is a small beach that you can only see when the tide is low. On the island, you'll find a little bar and a small port. Even though it's a small island, the beach is very popular in summer, so it has lifeguards to keep everyone safe. Boats travel to and from the island's concrete pier every 30 minutes, connecting it to Donostia (another name for San Sebastián). There's also an old lighthouse on the island, but no one lives there.
Plants and Animals of Santa Clara Island
Santa Clara Island is home to many different kinds of plants and animals. Some of the interesting plants you can find there include:
- Tamarix gallica (French tamarisk)
- Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Lawson's cypress)
- Arundo donax (giant cane)
- Populus nigra (black poplar)
- Betula celtiberica (birch)
- Ficus carica (common fig)
- Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust tree)
- Ligustrum ovalifolium (oval-leaved privet)
- Euonymus japonicus (Japanese spindle)
- Geranium robertianum (herb Robert)
- Pteridium aquilinum (common bracken)
- Trifolium reptans (clover)
- Crithmum maritimum (rock samphire)
The island also has various animals. You might spot the Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis hispanicus sebastiani). Many birds live here too, like different types of gulls. You can also see the European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) and the common guillemot (Uria aalge).
History of Santa Clara Island
In the late 1500s, something important happened on Santa Clara Island. People from Donostia (San Sebastián) who were sick with the plague were moved to the island. This was done to stop the illness from spreading to more people in the city.
Today, Santa Clara Island is owned by the government. It was given to the city of San Sebastián by the state on October 31, 1968. This means the city now manages and takes care of the island.
See also
- List of islands of Spain
