Cap Spartel marks the point where Morocco caps the northwestern tip of the Atlantic Coast along the African continent. Once known to the Romans as Ampelusium or ‘Cape of the Vines’, this rocky outpost is now part of a curtain of greens laid over the limestone headlands. Thin stalks of pine bearing dense crowns of leaves and green, pin-cushion cacti line the trails and walkways leading up to the viewing outposts. High above, scattered hints of human habitation in the form of enigmatic and secluded palaces and modern villas are a well-kept secret of the shelved hinterlands of La Montagne within the reserve.

Down below, curving ribbons of white trace the ocean’s edge along the coves of Cap Spartel such as the Ashkar or Robinson’s beach. If scenic beach shots and quiet swims aren’t enough to satiate your appetite for adventure, you can attempt to hike along the boulder packed coastlines all the way to the highest peak of the reserve but be prepared to meet risky crossings across tidal flats submerged under water for most of the day. As the only point where one can see the wintery currents of the Atlantic locking heads with the warmer origins of the Mediterranean, Cap Spartel is a resplendent outpost displaying the unbridled beauty of the oceans.