TARIFA SPAIN -> TANGIER MORROCO via ferry.

Our personable guide Abdelmoghit El Jelili met us at the port and took us on a wonderful tour of this North African city and its' outlying areas.

The people there were very welcoming and friendly; a strong sense of respect and community could be seen throughout our visit.

As afternoon prayers finished, dozens of men and boys streamed out of the local Mosque. It was then we witnessed a touching moment as a father gently lead his son home in the Medina.

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The view looking North from Tangier over the Strait of Gibraltar. This is where the Atlantic ocean meets the Mediterranean sea...

We felt very much at home speaking French with our guide, and with the locals we met.

The lady on the right is likely of a Berber ethnic group, as portayed by the colourful hat she is wearing. Berbers are an ethnic group indigenous to North Africa, primarily inhabiting Algeria, northern Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, northern Niger, Tunisia, Libya, and a part of western Egypt. Reportedly, there are 14 to 20 million ethnic Berbers in Morocco.

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Our guide asked us if what we saw during our visit to Morroco was what we thought it it might be prior to going there. He asked if the colours and foliage were a surprise. I can honestly say that in my mind I thought it be very dry, arrid and void of lush plants and grasses we saw.

Here in the Medina, there were many calm and quiet streets, with beautiful whitewashed residential places, and the bougainvillea was plentiful.

BTW, that was not our guide.

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Minutes from Tangier is the jutting Cap Spartel, the African continent's extreme northwest corner. Known to Romans as Ampelusium ("cape of the vines"), this fertile area sits 1000 feet high above the rocky coast. A shady, tree-lined road leads up to the summit, where the large lighthouse has wonderful sweeping views out over the Mediterranean at the very point where it meets the Atlantic.

Our guide took us here not only for the view and historical significance to the area, but also for a fine Moroccan breakfast.

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In the distance near the passing ship, if you look closely you can see the coast of Spain.

Built by Sultan Mohammed III in 1864, this lighthouse was maintained by Britain, France, Spain, and Italy until Morocco's independence from France in 1956. From atop a cliff at the northernmost point of the African continent, the area around the lighthouse offers amazing views of the Strait of Gibraltar. On a clear day, it is possible to look out on the horizon and see the meeting point of the dark blue Atlantic and the turquoise Mediterranean.

Licensing available at Getty Images

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