Spanish Island for Sale - Would Suit Wealthy Nature Lover

Atlantic views, your own stretch of beach and an extinct volcano on 300 hectares of land: one of the last Spanish islands left in private hands was put up for sale yesterday, offering a remote natural bolt hole to anyone with £6m to spend.

Montaña Clara, the "pale mountain" that rises from the sea north of the Canary island of Lanzarote, boasts a virtually untouched habitat and a breeding population of protected White-faced Storm-petrels, apart from the beach and the 256 meter-high remains of a volcanic crater.

A cosy cove or two, some cliffs, some caves and a few natural rocky swimming pools filled with sea water all come into the package. Views out across the Atlantic Ocean and warm winds blowing off the African coast some 100 miles away are among the free extras.

Yesterday Montaña Clara appeared on a Spanish property company's website, valued at €9m. "Make the most of this opportunity ... It is not every day that an island comes up for sale," said the Look & Find company website.

The main drawback of the island is that whoever buys it cannot build there.

The island is being sold by the heirs to the last owner, Mariano López Sorcas, who was mayor of a small Lanzarote town. The real estate company billed him as a careful owner who, for the past 50 years, had done nothing to disrupt the balance of nature on the island.

Among those reported to be interested were a Dutch buyer and a finance company. Tax breaks may be available to the buyer, and the property company suggested that a wealthy nature lover interested in protecting the island's fauna and flora might be the ideal buyer.

Late yesterday, however, the Spanish government stepped in, saying it may also bid for the island.

In fact, the environment official responsible for Spain's coastline, José Fernández, said that Montaña Clara may end up being expropriated.

He said the island, part of the Chinijo archipelago, formed part of a specially protected area.