At exactly 36 degrees latitude, the Punta de Tarifa is the southernmost point of continental Europe. The only parts of Europe farther south are islands – including the Greek island of Gavdos, which is the southernmost point of Europe. The North African capitals of Algiers and Tunis actually lie farther north than Tarifa.
The distance to Morocco, and thus the African continent, is only 14 km from Tarifa. Nowhere else are Europe and Africa closer to each other. Normally there is a ferry connection to Tanger, but due to Corona, the Moroccan border is still closed.
From Tarifa it wasn’t far to Gibraltar. More about the British enclave at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula in our next post!