Story of the day

Thursday 10 September · live from the riders on the spot

SuivreResets at midnight

Land and marine natural park, two continents 14 km apart

Parc Naturel du Détroit

Nearly 19,000 hectares straddling land and sea, from the head of Getares at Algeciras to the Cape of Gracia at Tarifa, facing Morocco.

The spot

The Parque Natural del Estrecho protects the southern tip of continental Spain. Its total surface is around 19,000 hectares, split almost equally between a land strip of about 9,880 ha and a marine zone of about 9,247 ha. It stretches over some thirty kilometres of coastline, from the cove of Getares on the Algeciras side to Cape Gracia on the Tarifa side. The park takes in the Isla de las Palomas, the sierras of La Plata and San Bartolo, and the whole line of wild beaches between Bolonia and Punta Camarinal.

It is one of the biodiversity hotspots of Europe. On the sea side, the convergence of the Lusitanian, Mediterranean and Mauritanian provinces makes the strait one of the richest zones on the Spanish coast: more than 1,900 plant and animal species recorded in the coastal strip. Seven species of cetacean are regularly observed there: common dolphins, bottlenose, striped and pilot whales in year-round residence, orcas and sperm whales in season. The orcas follow the migration of the bluefin tuna through the strait, mainly in July and up to mid-August. The subpopulation, estimated at around forty individuals, is classified Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

On the sky side, the strait is a major migratory bottleneck. Around thirty species of raptors and gliders cross to Africa in spring and autumn (black kites, white storks, honey buzzards), joined by some fifty species of passerines. The best observation is from the viewpoints set on the heights: Cerro del Tambor, Mirador del Estrecho, Punta Camarinal. Within the park, several waymarked trails let you string together coastline, sierras and viewpoints over Jebel Musa and the Moroccan Rif.

Protected natural area

What you'll see

Area

≈ 19,000 ha (9,880 ha on land + 9,247 ha at sea)

Notable wildlife & plants

7 cetacean species (orcas, dolphins, pilot whales, sperm whales)
≈ 30 species of migrating raptors (kites, storks, honey buzzards)
≈ 50 species of migrating songbirds
1,900+ marine species recorded

Viewpoints

Cerro del Tambor
Mirador del Estrecho
Punta Camarinal

⏱ Cetaceans: July to mid-August · raptors: spring and autumn

Carpooling

Rides to Parc Naturel du Détroit this week

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Post the first ride

Dominant wind

No wind needed for hiking and wildlife watching · the ridge paths are exposed to the levante

Required level

All levels depending on the trails, from the flat coastline to the steep passes

Best season

All year · peak cetacean watching in July and August, bird migration in spring and autumn

Access

Several entrances: N-340 at Pelayo (Huerta Grande), N-340 towards Bolonia, port of Tarifa for the Isla de las Palomas

The local's tip

01For the orcas, aim for July and the first half of August: that is the window when they hunt the bluefin tuna in the strait.
02The Huerta Grande interpretation centre (N-340 km 96, Pelayo) is the best entry point to understand the park.
03Several climbing and bouldering areas within the park are closed from 1 March to 31 August for nesting, check the orders.