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Natural sites
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Réserve naturelle marine de Cerbère-Banyuls
Banyuls-sur-Mer · Côte Vermeille
About
The Réserve Naturelle Marine de Cerbère-Banyuls, France's first marine reserve, was created on February 26, 1974. Managed by the Pyrénées-Orientales department, it has a total surface area of 650 hectares. It stretches along 6.5 km of coastline between Banyuls-sur-mer and Cerbère, and extends 2 km out to sea.
The natural site
Reserves and protected sites
Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Nature Reserve
650 ha of sea · National nature reserve · IUCN Green List
France's first exclusively marine reserve, created in 1974 between Banyuls and Cerbère, protects 650 hectares of seagrass meadows, coralligenous reefs and drop-offs where groupers have returned by the hundred. Its underwater trail can be explored free of charge in summer.
- Creation
- 1974
- Area
- 650 ha of sea
- Reinforced protection zone
- 65 ha (Cap Rédéris)
- Protected coastline
- 6.5 km
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Source : Pyrénées-Orientales Tourisme (DATAtourisme, Open Licence 2.0) · updated 16 Oct 2026