Punta Marroqui is, as the name intimates, merely 11 miles away from Africa. The point is a short walk from Tarifa, the most southerly town on mainland Europe, Malta, Crete and the Italian Island of Lampadusa, are further south, but nowhere on the continent itself. For us it's a milestone, after 3000 miles of wandering in a generally southerly direction, it's time to begin to wend our way homewards.
It is truly is odd to stand on an ithsmus, perhaps 30 metres across, and have Atlantic breakers on one side, and a flat calm Mediterranean on the other.
It's not just the sea which is different, the, flora and climate also change within a mile or two from a place which is unmistakeably Mediterranean to an oceanic influenced landscape. The grey mist hanging on the mountains seems depressingly familiar. Look east, there is a line of clear blue; look west and the sky is cloudy. If you don't believe what your eyes are telling you, then Wunderground provides the proof. In Marbella the humidity if less than 60%; just west of Tarifa it's 98%, yet the temperature is similar. This does not bode well for drying the laundry!
As for Tarifa itself, the place does not quite live up to the hype in the Lonely Planet guide which presents it as an ultra-hip 'surf-dude' paradise. The place does have a slightly alternative feel, but all the chat about 'trancey' bars and arabic-styled boutiques seems overhyped. It is Moorish in appearance, but also in parts quite workaday. A small fishing port which also provides a fast ferry to Tangiers. After the pace and energy of the Costa del Sol, then somewhere more laid back and peaceful is welcome. It's not possible to travel non stop day after day. You do need to slow down a bit from time to time.
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