Andalusia 2020

Tuesday3November

And there you go, in a few kilometers, we not only left Andalusia but also Spain. No teleportation in the night, but simply arrival in Gibraltar, this territory of Andalusia belonging to the United Kingdom. After slowly passing border control, we arrive in the city located at the foot of the famous rock, then go directly south, 5 kilometers further down. Here we are facing the Mediterranean where the Strait of Gibraltar begins. The British sky does not derogate from its reputation with this cloudy sky welcoming us.  

In the distance, many boats come to cross the strait or simply arrive or reach Africa located about twenty kilometers from here.
"The strait is the second most used sea route after the English Channel. It is crossed annually by about 100,000 ships." © Wikipedia

The presence of ships does not prevent morning athletes from indulging in a little paddle session...  

The Rock of Gibraltar ends its course directly in the sea.

The "Europa Point Lighthouse" built in 1841.

It is 20 meters high and was automated in 1994.

At 250 meters, another tower rivals the lighthouse. It is the minaret of the Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque.

Its construction ended in 1997 on a donation from King Fahd Ben Abdel Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia. 4% of Gibraltar's population is Muslim.

Memorial to General Sikorski, Polish Prime Minister who died with 15 other people in 1943 in the crash of the Consolidated B24 Liberator bomber 16 seconds after taking off from Gibraltar.

The famous rock of Gibraltar which will offer us a beautiful view of the whole bay later from its summit.

The tanker Nan Lin Wan Singapore emerging from the fog...

The land emerging from the mist is not Africa, but just the Spanish coast on the other side of Gibraltar Bay.

The Harding cannon, remnant of the area's military past.

At the very top of the rock also remain the cannons that protected the area.

Let's go exactly up there! Access to the summit is by cable car.

Here we are at the top of the rock at 426 meters altitude

Gibraltar Bay with the city of Algeciras opposite.

We are on the developed part of the rock which does not cover the entire monolith.

"Most of the Rock is a nature reserve populated by about 250 Barbary macaques – the only wild monkeys in Europe" © Wikipedia

These are Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus). And in the mirror, it's a human (Homo sapiens sapiens.  

Not easy going, the macaque... But they are very used to tourists. It just tries to steal anything that might stick out of backpacks...

Just as agile as us with their "slightly" hairier fingers.  

No jungle here to come and land. Just a rock, with concrete blocks on it to look at another jungle, this one urban...  

"The Barbary macaque of Gibraltar, also called Gibraltar macaque or Magot, is the only wild population of macaques on the European continent which, unlike those of its congeners in North Africa, is growing. Currently, nearly 300 macaques, divided into 5 groups occupy the upper part of the Rock in the nature reserve." © Wikipedia

The cable car cables taking us back to the starting point!

And leave Gibraltar and its rock.

Gibraltar is not the southernmost place on the Iberian Peninsula. No. For that, you have to go to Tarifa, at the exact point where sea and ocean meet (or separate).

Tarifa beach and the small Santa Catalina castle.

And opposite, surfers who chose the Atlantic side to glide on the waves...

The beach is not yet the southernmost point. For that, we must reach the small peninsula, Isla de las Palomas.

The passage to reach the island, with the Mediterranean Sea on the left and the Atlantic Ocean on the right!   And Africa is less than 20 kilometers from here!

On the left, a monument in tribute to those who help foreign children arriving here. On the right, the symbolization of the meeting point of three European hiking trails.

We turn around and hop, the ocean is on the left and the sea on the right! And above all, it is time to continue west to reach the famous and nevertheless beautiful city of Cadiz!  

Wednesday10November