Tangiers, Morocco to Tariffa – 26 km

I am posting my journals backdated to the day I wrote them, so read from bottom up if you have just arrived. Keep checking back, I have two weeks of journals to upload.

We woke late this morning and rode to the port. The ferry is scheduled to leave at 9 am local time, but once again we sit on the dock waiting. The ferry arrived at just after nine, unloaded and we were boarded by 9:30 am, but did not get underway for another hour.

It is a cloudy and cold day. It is odd that the coldest day of our trip is in Africa.

We immediately feel different riding into Tariffa. The vibe of the place is positive and it has a laid back, open energy about it. It is a sharp contrast to Morocco.

We rode up through the narrow streets of the old town, past artsy shops and people sitting outside at cafés. We were greeted at the Hostal Afrique by the owner, a Spanish doppelganger of Tim Chaput, right down to the mischievous glint in the eye.

The hostel is a rambling place with bright white walls, cobalt blue arches and marble pillars. Our room is on the top floor and leads out onto a rooftop patio with views of the straight.IMG_0953

After a short walk around town and lunch in the square, we got back on our bikes to ride to Algerciras to pick up the van. We rode 10 km up past countless wind turbines capturing the strong winds blowing through the straight from the Atlantic. To the South, across the straight, we could see the mountainous North coast of Morocco. As we crested the heights, Gibraltar stood imposingly across the water ahead of us. We then flew another 10 km down into the city.

We disassembled our bikes, packed the van and headed back to Tariffa for the remainder of the day. We walked the beach watching the many kite surfers, then followed Juliette and Mari through the shops on the main street.IMG_0955IMG_0960

Download GPX file for the day. [maptype=G_MAP_TYPE]

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