Málaga, Gibraltar and Tarifa (26.04. - 02.05.19)

The very tourist-oriented city of Málaga does not differ much from other typical Spanish coastal cities, contrary to my expectations. We cycled from a somewhat remote parking lot into the city and soon realized that we had to push our bikes due to the crowds. To escape the masses, we first visited a castle that offered a great view of Málaga. We also ate at a delicious vegetarian restaurant and explored the harbor. However, we didn't stay longer than half a day, mainly because we didn't start until noon.

In the evening, we drove to a square near Sierra Blanca because we planned to go hiking there the next day. It turned out to be fantastic! We walked through olive groves, colorful flowers grew along the paths, and from the top, we had a magnificent view of the entire coastline all the way to Gibraltar.

Gibraltar should also be our next destination. Just before the border, we realized that this is not a Spanish city, but a British one. Luckily, there was no left-hand traffic, which we would have had to get used to. However, other than that, we suddenly felt like we were in Great Britain. People spoke English, payments were made in pounds, and instead of tapas bars, there were fish and chips stalls.

We visited the most popular attraction in the city, the Upper Rock. This is a mountain that offers an incredibly great view from its peak, which you could admire, among other things, from a terrifying glass platform (which already had a crack) or from a suspension bridge. We also visited a cannon that could shoot up to 22km away to Africa. The mountain also houses various buildings from World War I and II. Furthermore, it is home to about 200 Barbary macaques. Gibraltar is the only place in Europe where macaques live in the wild. The only downside is that you have to guard your food. Unaware, we unpacked our nuts and cookies when suddenly a monkey jumped on us. It even clung to our backpack but let go when it found nothing there.

We spent the night in a beautiful parking lot near a waterfall. However, the drive there was less pleasant. The road was so narrow that we had about 1-2cm of space on each side with our side mirrors folded in. We were relieved that the return route took us on a different road.

The next day, we set off for the southernmost city in Europe: Tarifa. Due to the strong winds, it is a paradise for kite surfers and windsurfers. We watched from a safe distance as the kiters jumped about 15m high and flew approximately 50-60m. Incredible! I had never seen anything like it before. The city center also had its charm with its many small surf shops and white houses. We are happy to say that we have been to the southernmost point of Europe!