| Local Name: | Isla del Fraile |
| Coordinates: | 37.4086°N -1.5467°W |
| Pushpin Map: | Spain |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Spain |
| Location: | Águilas, Mediterranean Sea |
| Area Km2: | 0.068 |
| Length M: | 441 |
| Width M: | 258 |
| Elevation M: | 92 |
| Country: | Spain |
| Country Admin Divisions Title: | Autonomous Community |
| Country Admin Divisions: | Region of Murcia |
| Population: | 0 |
| Population As Of: | 2023 |
Isla del Fraile (Friar's Island) is a steep island located east of the urban centre of Águilas (Murcia), Spain. It has infra-Mediterranean vegetation and one of the richest seabeds in the southeast of the peninsula, especially due to its populations of oceanic Posidonia. It is a place of passage and sighting of dolphins and has an important colony of seagulls. Geologically it belongs to the Subbaetic System, as a part of the Maláguide and Alpujárride systems. During the Late Roman period (5th c.), a garum factory was erected in the island, with several processing vats.[1] [2] It has been declared a Protected Natural Area.
It has been proposed that the oronym "Fraile" ("Friar") could have evolved from the term "farellón" (equivalent to farallón, 'sea stack').[3]
It is a popular place for practicing nautical sports due to its particular orography and the protection it offers from the east, the predominant wind on its coast.