The Sisargas Islands are a small archipelago uninhabited placed 1 mile off the Cape of Saint Adrián in Malpica. This archipelago is formed by the islands “Grande”, “Chica” and “Malante” together with some islets. They were inhabited in the past as the presence of the Chapel Santa Mariña proves. This chapel that was destroyed by the pirates in their endless raids all along the 10the century.
This nature reserve is rich in plant and animal life. Loads of endangered birds nest in these islands and some other ones just use them to rest in their long-distance migrations. Species such as the herring gull, the kittiwake, and the seagull known as the “dark” seagull. They find in the cliffs that are in the northern part of the island the perfect habitat.
If we have the chance of getting close to the island and walk along it, we shouldn´t miss it. There is no company that can take us, so the only way is to find a ship from Malpica that take us there.
We land in a small natural port. We can take a dip in the only beach the island has and start a walk that will take us to the lighthouse admiring an amazing view of Malpica and Saint Adrián. The seagulls and the herring gulls are the real owners of these islands and they will come with us while we stay in the island. They will protect their eggs and their chicks.
We reach the lighthouse. It was built in 1919, and it has a mute witness and guide for those sailing by for a long period of time. The lighthouse keeper used to stay there for 15 days alone in the islands till he was replaced by another one. The cliffs near the lighthouse reach 100 meters high. The croaking of the birds and the noise the sea makes are mixed in this view of the sea causing a feeling of vertigo that we will never forget.
We leave the cliffs to head to the forest that covers a huge part of the highest area of the GrandeIsland. This small forest surprises us because of the amount of leaves of the pines. Curiously, the absence of human beings has allowed that the treetops reach our heads.
We descend again till the pier where there is a ship waiting for us that will take us to land after spending some hours that are unforgettable.