The Straits of Gibraltar is a relatively narrow body of water that marks the entrance to the Mediterranean. You need to carefully time your movement around the straight, avoiding any easterly winds that can make for a very uncomfortable ride. We found a weather window of three days with winds from the west, shifting to northwest, and then light and variable. We waited for the first day for seas to lie down. The second day we headed for Barbate, but hoped to get further. The swell was still substantial, but it was a good sail, and we made it to the anchorage in Bolonia, about 10 miles south of Barbate.
Oh how I wish we had an extra day here. The water was crystal clear like the Bahamas (I could watch the anchor and chain and not wonder where it lay). Right in plain view of the anchorage were the remains of a Roman amphitheater. Further down the beach was what is known to be the largest dunes in Spain, some 70 meters wide and 200 meters tall. In the distance we could see the famous Rock of Gibraltar. We could only admire from deck, as we needed to push on the next day with the last of our weather window.
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