BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide

Boat rental in Alicante and Tabarca island

Hire a boat in Alicante to reach Tabarca island, its marine reserve and coves: budgets, the best sailing windows and practical mooring tips.

Alicante sails against the backdrop of Santa Barbara castle, with a large marina at the foot of the old town. The real draw, about eleven miles to the south, is Tabarca: Spain's smallest inhabited island, ringed by the first Mediterranean marine reserve ever created in the country. Hiring a boat in Alicante is above all a way to get there early and enjoy it before the ferries and excursion boats arrive. The run down to the island is short enough for a relaxed morning yet long enough to feel like a proper little sea passage, which is a large part of what makes it such a satisfying and memorable first hire on this coast.

Leaving Alicante harbour

From the port of Alicante the bay opens quickly. To the north, Cala Cantalar and the coves of the Serra Gelada, below the Albir lighthouse, offer clear water for a first swim. To the south the coast runs toward Santa Pola and its cape, the shortest jumping-off point for Tabarca. The sailing stays easy, on open, uncluttered water, with simple marks to follow if you are new to it.

Tabarca and its marine reserve

Around Tabarca the reserve protects strikingly clear posidonia meadows, a snorkelling paradise where you meet wrasse and grouper. Anchoring is regulated: you use dedicated mooring buoys rather than dropping the hook, to protect the seabed. Ask your operator about permitted zones and any buoy booking in high season. The fortified village, its lanes, its ramparts and its fish restaurants are well worth a midday stop.

Which boat to choose

For the crossing, a comfortable motorboat is best: a day-cruiser (250 to 900 €/day) covers the eleven miles effortlessly and gives shade for the day. A RIB (200 to 600 €/day) stays livelier near the coves. A skipper (150 to 350 €/day) makes the buoy mooring easy if you are new to it. Prices often differ by 10 to 25 % between platforms: Boat-Comparator lines up SamBoat, Click&Boat, GlobeSailor and Boataround side by side, service fees included.

Stopping on Tabarca

The island can be crossed on foot in minutes. You can visit the baroque church, the Saint Joseph tower and the remains of the Genoese ramparts, then lunch on caldero, the local fish rice. Bring a hat, water and water shoes, as the seabed is rocky in places. Moor early, as buoy spaces are limited and sought after by mid-morning in summer.

The right window

Leave at first light: the sea is flat, Tabarca still empty, and you can moor before the excursion boats arrive. By early afternoon the thermal breeze picks up and stiffens the chop on the way home. Book ahead in July and August, and read the cancellation policy, which varies by owner, before you confirm.

Compare the platforms now →

Also worth reading

• How much does it cost to rent a boat in 2026? Real prices
• License-Free Boat Rental in France: Rules, Prices & Where to Book
• Renting with or without a skipper: how to choose