Montaña Clara Islet is the smallest of the three small islets that make up the Chinijo Archipelago. It is located north of Lanzarote, between La Graciosa and Alegranza. It is part of the Chinijo Archipelago Natural Park and the Los Islotes Integral Reserve.

Its name is due to the light tones of its volcanic cone, which covers a large area of the island.

Geography

The islet has an area of 1.33 km², and its highest altitude is recorded in La Mariana, at 256 meters. Its crater, open to the north, is occupied at its bottom by the sea, forming a small cove.

On its western face, marine erosion can be seen, which has dismantled a large part of this building, leaving a cliff about 200 meters high. Along the coastline, the sea has carved out a series of caves and natural pools. The Llano del Aljibe, located to the south, is the flattest part of the small island.

Although it has never been permanently inhabited, it has not been spared from human activity, which has produced significant transformations.

Flora and fauna

Despite its small size, Montaña Clara remains an important refuge for fauna, especially birds:

• Seabirds are the most abundant, such as shearwaters, with the presence of scarce species both inside and outside the Archipelago: white-chinned petrel (Pelagodroma marina), whose main breeding colony in the Canary Islands is on this small islet, common petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus), Madeira petrel (Oceanodroma castro), etc.
• Raptors also stand out, such as the osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae), which nest on its cliffs, taking advantage of the abundant food provided by the migratory species that pass through here.

Another inhabitant of this islet, with a fairly common presence, is the tiny Canarian shrew (Crocidura canariensis).

Where is it