Unavoidable

The Natural Marine Reserve

Cerbère-Banyuls

The Pyrénées-Orientales can be proud of having contributed to the creation of the first French Marine Nature Reserve in 1974. It extends over 6.5 km and covers 650 ha of sea between Banyuls-sur-Mer and Cerbère (municipalities that initiated its creation), just north of the Spanish border.

In 2018, La Réserve Naturelle Marine de Cerbère-Banyuls received two awards. It was reinstated on the IUCN Green List and received the status of Global Marine Refuge by the Marine Conservation Institute of Seattle for its active protection of habitats, maintenance of marine biodiversity and increase in its populations.

Getting there

Unique in France

The Marine Nature Reserve of Cerbère-Banyuls is the only exclusively marine nature reserve in France.

The Marine Nature Reserve of Cerbère-Banyuls, the first exclusively marine reserve in France, was created on February 26, 1974. Managed by the Department of Pyrénées-Orientales, its total area is 650 hectares.

It stretches over 6.5 km of coastline between Banyuls-sur-mer and Cerbère and extends 2 km out to sea.

600 hectares accessible

The reserve exists as much for human education as for the protection of marine life.

It has 2 levels of protection: a protected zone corresponding to the largest area of the space that is nearly 600 hectares where human activities are regulated and a reinforced protection zone of 65 hectares where all human activities are prohibited.

You can dive, snorkel, observe the fish from a boat…

Learn more

Each year, the Marine Reserve carries out surveillance missions, scientific monitoring, educational activities and manages the reception of users and the public.

How to find out?

the natural marine reserve

Cerbère-Banyuls

The aquarium

Observe the marine fauna and flora at the arcadesOn the Mediterranean coast

Baptism of divingOn the Côte Vermeille