Cervantes is a town in Western Australia. The town is located 231 kilometres (144 mi) north north west of the state capital, Perth in the Shire of Dandaragan Local Government Area. At the 2006 census, Cervantes had a population of 503 The town was named after a ship that was wrecked nearby. The ship, in turn, was named after Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote. There is little industry in the town beyond fishing. The Pinnacles are nearby in Nambung National Park which makes for a small industry from tourism. Lake Thetis is a saline lake located nearby which contains stromatolites.