The Most Extreme Points of Spain
Spain is a nation which is mostly in the European Iberian Peninsula. Spain is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the east and south except Gibraltar, Atlantic Ocean and Portugal to the northwest and west and Bay of Biscay, Andorra, and France to the northeast and north. The main Spanish territories include two principal archipelagoes; the Canary Islands and Balearic islands. It is the only European nation which shares the border with an African state (Morocco). Spain is the second biggest nation in the European Union and fourth largest in Continental Europe. It is the sixth largest European nation by population with its major urban regions being Bilbao, Malaga, Seville, Valencia and Barcelona. The highest, westernmost, easternmost, southernmost and northernmost places in Spain include:
5. Northernmost Point in Spain
The northernmost point of Spain and Iberian Peninsula is the Punta de Estaca de Bares which is at latitude 43° 47′ 38″ North. It is on the western end of the Biscay Bay in the Atlantic Ocean. The Estaca de Bares Peninsula penetrates into the Atlantic Ocean and the Cantabrian Sea, therefore it is the rainiest region in Europe. A lighthouse was built on this point in 1850 and it is still functional to date, under the administration of the Spanish captain of Ferrol port. Due to its unique weather conditions, Punta de Estaca de Bares was declared to be a region of National natural interest. There is an abandoned military base, ruins of Molinas, and a bird sanctuary on the Estaca de Bares. The United States Coast Guards initially operated the abandoned military base during the early 1960s. After they finished their project, the United States Air Force took over the station which they used until 1991. Estaca de Bares is in Galicia which is in the northwestern sides of Iberian Peninsula. There are a series of water-ways which powered the mills for the residents. The mills are between the bird sanctuary and the abandoned military base.
4. Southernmost Point in Spain
The southernmost point in Spain is the La Restinga which is in El Hierro, Canary Islands. La Restinga Harbor is the southernmost harbor in Spain and Europe. El Hierro is on the farthest west and south of the Islands of Canary. It is also the smallest island which occupies an area of about 103.75 square miles. The southernmost point of the Continental Europe and Peninsula of Iberian is Punta de Tarifa. Punta de Tarifa is in Cadiz province, Andalusia and from this area, you can see the coast of Morocco. Punta de Tarifa is the southeastern tip of Isla de Tarifa which is offshore and linked to the mainland via a causeway. Punta de Tarifa was a military base from the 1930s to 2001, and its name is derived from Tarif Ibn Malik.
3. Westernmost Point in Spain
Punta de la Orchilla is the westernmost points of the Canary Islands. Punta de la Orchilla is in the El Hierro of El Pinar municipality. Punta de la Orchilla has a lighthouse which has been functional since 1933. It is on the south-western parts of El Hierro. The island obtained its name from the Orchil lichen which thrives on the rocky lava slopes in the region. It is one of the most remote Spanish lighthouses. The westernmost point of peninsula Spain, La Coruna Province and Galicia is Cabo Tourinan. Cabo Tourinan is in Muxia municipality, and it is a small peninsula which extends into the sea for 0.62 miles with its narrowest part being 49 feet wide which means that this is the place where the last sunlight ray sinks into the ocean in continental Europe. The cape has a rugged landscape, and the thorny reeds form the only vegetation in Cabo Tourinan.
2. Easternmost Point in Spain
Cap de Creus is the easternmost point in the Spanish mainland, Catalonia, and the Iberian Peninsula. It is a headland and peninsula of the far northeastern side of Catalonia about 16 miles from the French border. Cap de Creus is in Cadaques municipality and the closest major town is Figueres (capital of Alt Emporda). Currently, this region is a natural park. The peninsula occupies an area of about 73 square miles of unique landscape value (a wind-beaten rocky region with no trees). One of the local legends claims that Hercules hewed the cape. La Mola Island is the easternmost point in Spain. La Mola Island is in Mahon the capital of Menorca Island. Mahon is on the eastern coast of Menorca Island and it has one of the largest harbors in the world which is 2,953 feet wide and 3.1 miles long.
1. Highest Point in Spain
Mount Teide is the highest point in the Atlantic Islands and Spain. It is a volcanic mountain on Tenerife in the islands of Canary, which is about 12,198 feet high. If measured from the base (ocean floor), it is about 24,600 feet and the highest volcano in the global base-to-peak outside the Hawaii islands. It is the third tallest volcanic mountain in the world, and the Teide elevation makes this island the tenth highest on earth. Teide is an active mountain which erupted in 1909. The United Nations have designated it as a Decade Volcano due to its proximity to bigger towns and history of destructive eruptions. The closest towns are Pico Viejo, Teide, Puerto de la Cruz, and Garachoco among others. Teide is currently the most toured Spanish wonder while Teide National Park is the most visited in the whole of Europe. Teide is the sacred peak for the Guanches, and it was mythological mountain like the Olympus Mountain. The highest point in Iberian Peninsula and continental Spain is Mulhacen. Mulhacen is part of the ranges of the Sierra Nevada in Cordillera Penibetica. It is named after Muley Hacen (Abu I-Hasan Ali) a Muslim king of Granada who ruled during the fifteenth century. Muley Hacen was buried on the mountain’s summit. Other than the Alps, Mulhacen is the highest point in Western Europe. It is the third topographical area in West Europe after Mount Etna and Mont Blanc and sixty-fourth in the world. The mountain’s southern flanks are gentle while the steeper northeastern ridges are shorter and technical. Mountain climbers have been able to climb Mulhacen from either Trevelez or Capileira villages in one day.
