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Les Illes Formigues, the first underwater BCIN in Catalonia

The Roman site, located 46 meters deep in front of Palafrugell and Palamós, receives maximum heritage protection due to its exceptional state of conservation.

bonart palamós - 14/08/26

The Government has declared the underwater archaeological site of the Formigues Islands as a cultural asset of national interest (BCIN), a protection that makes it the first underwater site in Catalonia to obtain this maximum heritage category. Located in the open sea, off the coast of Palafrugell and Palamós, the Roman wreck Illes Formigues II is 46 meters deep and constitutes one of the most relevant underwater archaeological sites in the western Mediterranean.

Its value lies, above all, in the exceptional state of conservation of the remains. Archaeological excavations, initiated in 2017 by the Center for Underwater Archaeology of Catalonia (CASC), have allowed to document a significant part of the boat and recover numerous elements of its cargo. Among the findings stand out the amphorae that transported preserves and fish sauces from the Roman province of Baetica, in present-day Andalusia, as well as the structural remains of the ship.

Studies carried out at the site have provided new information on shipbuilding techniques, trade routes and forms of maritime transport during the Roman period. Les Illes Formigues II has thus become one of the four reference sites for the study of Mediterranean trade in antiquity.

The main hypothesis about the shipwreck suggests that, approximately two thousand years ago, the Roman ship was caught in a storm around the Formigues Islands. Its location, at considerable depth and in an area of open sea, has contributed to preserving some particularly valuable remains.

The head of the CASC, Rut Geli Mauri, highlights precisely the exceptional nature of the find, since for the first time it has been possible to excavate an ancient ship that preserves both the wood of the vessel and a good part of its contents. Geli also points out that the plunder suffered historically by the Catalan coast makes the conservation of a set of these characteristics especially unique.

The declaration as a BCIN establishes a protection perimeter of around 92,000 square meters around the site. In this space, fishing will be prohibited or severely limited and buoys will not be allowed to be installed. The measure seeks to preserve not only the archaeological remains from possible furtive actions, but also to avoid any activity that, even if not intended to harm them, could cause their deterioration.

The protection has been worked on with the different agents linked to the space, including the Fishermen's Guild and the Palamós and Palafrugell town councils, as well as underwater and nautical activity centers. With this declaration, the Formigues Islands enter a new stage of protection and research and are consolidated as one of the most valuable archaeological testimonies of navigation and maritime trade in antiquity in Catalonia.