Cabo de Trafalgar

Cape Trafalgar is a flat, windswept headland at the western end of the Strait of Gibraltar, marked by a 19th-century lighthouse and not much else. From the parking area near the lighthouse you can walk out to the end of the cape in a few minutes. The sea view is open in all directions: to the south you are looking towards the Strait, and the African coast can sometimes be made out in clear weather.

The Playa de los Caños de Meca on the northern side of the cape is one of the longest and least crowded beaches on the Costa de la Luz — backed by umbrella pines and low dunes, with a consistent Atlantic swell that makes it popular with surfers. The small village of Caños de Meca behind the beach has a slightly alternative character and a handful of restaurants and bars. Cape Trafalgar is 15 km south of Conil, easily reachable by car in 20 minutes.

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A story
On 21 October 1805, the combined Franco-Spanish fleet of 33 ships met the British under Admiral Nelson just off this cape. The battle was over in a few hours — the British took or destroyed 22 enemy vessels without losing a single ship. Nelson was shot by a French sniper from the rigging of the Redoutable and died before the action ended. His last signal to the fleet — "England expects that every man will do his duty" — was made before the battle began.

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