The Pen of Gibraltar seen from the Line of Conception
1. “THAT IS IN THE ASS OF THE WORLD!”.
Now it turns out that the Línea de la Concepción or San Roque are further away than London itself and anyone would say that we can only get there by canoe or hitchhiking. The reality is that one of the qualities of the Shire is in its connectivity : just over 100 kilometers from Cádiz, 145 from Malaga and 180 from Seville. What does this mean, dramas of the world? That in just an hour, an hour and a half we can enjoy some of the liveliest and most charming cities on the Peninsula and we could even get on a plane for the occasional getaway. It must be understood that some may not have attended Geography class the day the map of Spain was studied. Don't panic, it's never too late to learn that Algeciras, Castellar de la Frontera, Jimena de la Frontera, La Línea de la Concepción, Los Barrios, San Roque and Tarifa –a Campogibraltareña region– they belong to the province of Cádiz.
Archaeological Ensemble of Baelo Claudia
two. “THERE THERE IS NOTHING TO DO”
That is to say, that lousy, special or llanitos –that is how Linenses, Algeciras and Gibraltarians are popularly known– spend their days doing… what? Work whoever works, maybe in front of the television or... They are likely to spend their free time playing sports , either on the street or in gyms and sports facilities. Yes, there are, there are, many and good. They can also go to the movies, I say, go to the theater, concerts on weekends or visit some galleries and exhibition halls , exhibitions in the house of culture and socio-cultural activities that are scheduled throughout the year. Among that 'nothing to do' we can talk about:
- Paco de Lucía International Guitar Encounter, in Algeciras, which brings together important figures in music and promising youngsters.
- There is the option of visit the Archaeological Ensemble of Baelo Claudia, one of the best examples of Roman urban planning that are known and preserved in our country , declared a National Historical Monument and this summer has once again formed part of the Andalusian Roman Theater Cycle. It is located **22 kilometers from Tarifa **, with wonderful views of the Atlantic Ocean.
- **Cinema, exhibitions, music, theater and much more in Alcultura **, a cultural space that is in the El Saladillo dock, just behind the Real Club Náutico de Algeciras.
Cinema, exhibitions, music, theater... Who gives more?
- Leisure and sports in the middle of Nature. The Campo de Gibraltar stands out for two truly spectacular natural enclaves, the Natural Park of the Alcornocales and that of the Strait. The first is known as 'the European virgin forest', with more than 170,000 hectares ; and the second, with 9,000 hectares, includes the Algeciras-Tarifa coastline, with the Playa de los Lances Natural Park and the aforementioned Baelo Claudia complex. Two other places give the region a special attraction for lovers of outdoor activities and rural tourism: the Marshes of the Palmones River , resting area for thousands of birds during migrations; and the ** Natural Monument Dune of Bolonia, in Tarifa.**
- Whale and bird watching in a privileged place –and conducive– to it. The Strait of Gibraltar has an impressive natural ecosystem. The boat trip is a must to see how dolphins, sperm whales, killer whales and humpbacks swim.
- Typical Andalusian with proper names: Castellar de la Frontera, Jimena, San Roque and Tarifa are four of the Campogibraltareños municipalities that are worth strolling through. A great autumn plan is to leave very early in the morning and have a good pancake with butter for breakfast at Venta Chinela , at the foot of the road, on the way to Jimena de la Frontera. Walking route through the area and lunch at El Anón, a very charming restaurant. And that is just one example of the small weekend getaways that we can do in these parts.
Alcornocales Natural Park
3.**“RATE IS THE ONLY THING” (‘AND THE MOST’, WE READ BETWEEN THE LINES) **
Well, that, to talk about this part of the province of Cádiz and its beaches is to reduce everything to Tarifa. What can you say? Yes, it cannot be denied that this municipality has the best beaches in the region, but they are not the only ones and some others also deserve to be discovered. Among the recommendations, Getares and Cala Arenas. The first is semi-urban, with more than 1.5 kilometers of extension. Fine golden sand, with deep and normally calm waters and all kinds of services. A diamond in the rough? The second, Cala Arenas. Three small coves made up of rock and gravel surrounded by vegetation, virgin beaches with low occupancy which can be reached on foot through an easily accessible path. If I had to choose, I would definitely go with this one.
Four. "TUNA FROM BARBATE", "SHRIMP TORTILLITTES FROM SAN FERNANDO"...
What about the Line? From the neighborhoods? From Algeciras?... "What will these people feed on?" He silenced the mouths of more than one with the fried nettles, pennyroyal snails, groupers in sauce, sea urchins or a good retinto fillet. Well, and about the tuna, seriously, to César what belongs to César, that In Baelo Claudia the Romans established the largest tuna industry of the time. Today, this fish is still closely associated with the Campo de Gibraltar, with the Canning Company of Tarifa as a benchmark factory for canning this and other fish. More than a century of history and tradition that we can get to know better thanks to the exhibition A Strait of Conservas. From the garum of Baelo Claudia to the melva of Tarifa in the aforementioned archaeological complex until January 2017.
Grilled Iberian secret with sliced mushrooms
5. "THE UNBEARABLE EASTERN WIND THAT DRIVES THEM CRAZY"
And that it has been largely to blame for tourism, which today is the mainstay of part of the region, for be a climate that attracts fans of water sports. It must also be said that there are still no known cases of people who have been blown away nor has anyone gone crazy because of the Levante… And how cool are some of us in summer with those currents? And the show that takes place on the beaches with the kites of the 'kiters'?
They say out there that rectifying is for the wise: so here is my correction , hoping to see beyond the left and right margin of highways and national highways when you head, of course, towards Tarifa.