%CR%S4%B%FCTarifa and other Cadiz, Spain Off The Beaten Path Tips

Steps up to Miramar

Heading towards Algeciras is the town of Tarifa which is about 100km, perhaps an hour and 30 minutes drive. This is the southern most part of Europe with the mountains of Africa just a hop skip and a jump across the sea. It is also here that the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet.

You can visit the old castle standing majestically overlooking the sea or amble round the old town exploring the cobbled streets, gazing at the wonderful old buildings, or do like I always do stop at a pavement bar and have a glass of wine and people watch :-)

If you would like to read more of Tarifa click here

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Cadiz Province: Towns & villages: Tarifa

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Written by bugalugs

on Feb 10, 2006

Beach at Tarifa

Tarifa is also known as the windy city, apparently even sitting on the beach at times can be impossible because of the sand blowing around. However when we visited in late November the sun was shining and all was calm. The beach looked lovely. It is also famous for surfing, and kite surfing. Contests and competitions are held here. There are many sports shops around where you can all the equipment you need, even pay for lessons if you wish.

Here in Tarifa you can also get the ferry to Tangier, it is a high speed ferry and only takes 35 minutes. They run pretty regularly each day.

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Off The Beaten Path: Gibraltar

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Updated by bugalugs

on Feb 21, 2006

The Rock and me!

About an2 hours (140km) away by car is Gibraltar famous for its Rock and its monkeys. The people there are called Gibraltarians and although they all speak perfectly fine english they also speak a mixture of spanish and english which is called spanglish. Its a very friendly relaxed sort of place.

Night times can be fairly quiet after the huge influx of day trippers that troops across the border each day in search of their duty free alcohol and cigarettes. The money used on Gibraltar is pounds sterling, and dont be amazed to see British Bobbies (policemen/women) patrolling the streets.

Each day at 11pm up Main Street march a band of people dressed as soldiers of centuries ago playing their pipes and drums.

Along Main Street there are plenty of 'british type pubs' to whet your whistle! Only if you want to though its not compulsary :-)))

To read more about my travel to Gibraltar please click here

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Off The Beaten Path: Gibraltar

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Written by bugalugs

on Feb 10, 2006

View from Cable car

No-one can visit Gibraltar without a trip up the Rock to see the monkeys. You are best not feeding them though, they are fed by their keepers, and have plenty of food although they will snatch food out of your hand if they can. They will jump on you whether you want them to or not. Well they all dont, but some do, one jumped on my husbands head and sat there as if he had every right to be sitting there, I at that point made a hasty retreat!

You can either walk up the Rock, though goodness knows why anyone would want to it would be exhausting, or you can take a taxi tour, this is usually shared with other occupants and can work out a bit cheaper and the taxi drivers are good and interesting and tell you about everything. Or you can get the cable car. Can be a bit of a queue in the summer months but later in the year there is no problem. However if the winds are high which sometimes they can be around the Rock then the cable car wont be working.

Gibraltar is also the place where when Lord Nelson was killed in the Battle of Waterloo his ship HMS Victory sailed into Gibraltar and his body brought ashore. There has just been his 200th centenary in Gibraltar.

For a small place Gibraltar has a lot of history and some interesting things to see.

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Off The Beaten Path: Jimena de la Frontera

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Written by bugalugs

on Feb 21, 2006

Entrance archway

by bugalugs , 1 more photos

All around this area of Andalucia are so many villages with such beautiful buildings and history that you want to visit as many as you can. We visited Jinema de la Frontera on a previous visit when we stayed in Gibraltar. A small village the old ruins of a castle on the hill. The castle was a muslim fortress which has been built on roman/byzantine sites from the 6th-15th centuries.

The outer walls were modified for gun loopholes during the war of independance 1808-1812.

With such a strategic position on top of the hill this castle must have seen many battles over the centuries

The castle is made of local limestone. This round tower is called the tower of homage and is roman. At the entrance to the castle ruins, this horseshoe entrance is Islamic. An inscription near the entrance is dated 151AD

There is an information office on the site at the top but this was closed when we were there.

From Cadiz it is approximately 120 km to Jimena de la Frontera, probably a drive of about almost 2 hours.

You need to take the N443, - Motorway AP4 - A381

Please click here if you wish to see my Jimena de la frontera

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Off The Beaten Path: Castellar de la Frontera

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Written by bugalugs

on Feb 21, 2006

by bugalugs , 1 more photos