Spain Day Five: Exploring Tarifa And Bolonia: Beaches, Dunes And Roman Ruins

It was cloudy, windy and raining when I awoke early Sunday morning, my first day in  Spain. I was staying in Tarifa the southernmost point in Europe. If it was sunny I going to hike on one of the many trails in the nearby  national and local parks. I had four goals I wanted to accomplish on this trip, I wanted to see the Roman ruins in Bolonia, I wanted to observe the bird migration, I wanted to visit Morocco and I wanted to see a cork tree.

The rain complicated  my plans.   I wasn’t sure what I was going to do that day so  I decided to have breakfast at my hotel first.  I was staying at the La Residencia Puerto Hotel and Spa.   It was a good decision.The breakfast buffet was awesome.

It included  many choices of home made local foods. The tapas and pastries were absolutely delicious as was the coffee, the fresh fruits and juices and everything else. . It was the first of six wonderful breakfasts.  While enjoying my breakfast  the rains let up,  so,  I made my decision. I was going to visit the Baelo  Claudia, the  Roman ruins in  the village of Bolonia, about a 1/2 hour 15   mile drive from Tarifa .  First,  I was going to hike in the Parque Natural del Estrecho , a park along the ocean on the way to Bolonia.

I enjoyed the scenic drive to the park  under the clearing  skies. However, when I arrived and parked along a trail in the park  more dark clouds appeared in the skies.

A light rain started  to fall  as I began my hike, and I was glad I wore my rain gear. The trail  took me through some lush green vegetation down.

There were a lot of yellow flowers blooming along the trail.

I believe, according to Google lens,  they were fumana or needle sunrise flowers and are native to the Mediterranean region. 

The trail took  me to some  the dunes along the ocean  shoreline,

with a view of the stormy Straight of Gibraltar. 

I enjoyed walking along the shore in a light rain. I again reflected on the history of region and the ancient sailors who would have seen the coast I was hiking on from their ships.

Once again I was very disappointed seeing only one birds on my hike along the dunes, a common chiffchaff.

I aloes  encountered  only  one person on my hike,  a woman walking her dog. The clouds thickened as I hiked and I decided I better head back to my car. It was a good decision. The rains got heavier as I approached my car.

I found a few wild mushrooms along the trails, one appeared to be some type of puffball. . However, I couldn’t look for more since the  rain became a downpour.  I decided to end my hike and drive to the Bolonia and the Roman ruins. Here is a link to a gallery on my web site with some more photos from my hike rainy on the beach. Spain Day Five. Tarifa.  Parque Natural del Estrecho beach hike March 17 2025.

As I learned, as it often does near Tarifa, the weather changed again as I drove through the hills and to the beautiful beach in Bolonia. The skies cleared and the sun was shining when I arrived at the  beach.

I parked my car and decided to walk along the shore to visit  the Roman ruins at Baleo Claudia.

I  did this since i also wanted to see the  famous dunes of Bolina. These dunes are some of the largest in Europe.

Walking toward the dunes I got my first look at the Roaman ruins , the basillica and statue of the emperor Trajan. I was now anxious to begin exploring the ancient city.

There was a fence along the ruins, and, at the time I thought I could walk around it gain entrance to the ruins. I was wrong. I followed the fence and came to a boardwalk that took me along the dunes.

The  views of the dunes and ocean from boardwalk were spectacular.

The were many  pine trees along the boardwalk,

and I finally heard and saw  a bird, this Eurasian wren in the trees.

There were also many yellow legged gulls flying over the ocean.

 I followed the boardwalk along the dunes to it’s end.  The scenery was spectacular.

I  then  followed another trail on my AllTrails iPhone app that I thought would take me to a  into the Roman ruins.

It was a nice trail  through grassy fields and trees.  I saw a flock of European goldfinches in the trees along the trail.

I also saw many wildflowers in bloom, including the  invasive Bermuda buttercups I saw along the shore in Tarifa the previous afternoon, this one with a honeybee.

And these flowers I believe were  pholmos,   a mint native to Spain.

I continued my hike  on the trail but soon realized that the entire Baelo  Clauda ruins complex was fenced in with no access from this trail.

I had to follow the trail to it’s end,  which took me to the highway   where I learned the only entrance to the ruins was located.  I had over a mile  walk to get there.

I didn’t mind hiking along the highway. I often have seen many birds perched on utility lines and in the woodlands along rural roads on my travels.  Once again I did not see much bird activity on my hike to the entrance, but,  I did see two birds,  the first a colorful European serin ,

and the second,  new lifer for me, a beautiful Thekla’s lark.  I was disappointed with not seeing more bird activity  so far on my trip.

 I was excited when I made it to the entrance of Baelo Claudia. There was no admission fee to the ruins site.   I first entered a very informative museum with many exhibits and artifacts displayed,

with information  about the history of  this once wealthy Roman fishing village.

I left the museum and began my exploration of the ruins under mostly partly  sunny skies. I  first came to one of the aqueducts that supplied water to the city that was founded by the Romans in the late  2 century B.C.  I always loved history.  Seeing    the aqueducts,  I thought of  the men who  built this structure that stand 2,5oo years later. I wondered of what they were thinking as they labored in this  remote city at the edge of the ancient world.

I continued my walk through the ruins,  imagining the lives of the people who lived here. Baelo Claudia was a fishing  and trading village. It was famous for the production of garum , a fermented  fish sauce popular in the Roman empire. I remember reading it was  the Roman version of our modern ketchup. They used  in on everything.

I came to the ruins of the large outdoor theatre.

 This impressive structure  could accommodate 2000 people. Here I reflected on the men, women and children who would seat in these seats, with the spectacular view of the ocean,

and mountains and watch plays,  important venue for cultural events, political gatherings. 

I wondered what they wondered as they sat  in this  large theater with such beautiful views. Where they a young married persons happy to be living in this prosperous town on the edge of the vast Roman empire. Where they soldiers stationed here and missing their families in Rome. Where they elderly folks administering the city.  I often wonder these things when I visit ruins, cemeteries and other historic sites on my travel.

I walked past the ruins of the temples were the Romans worshiped   I was surprised to see a temple devoted to the Egyptian Goddess Isis. I visited a temple  devoted to Isis in Egypt.   It was surrounded by beautiful flowers and I imagined this one looking like this when the city was bustling with people.

I explored the ruins, wishing I had more time and energy. I had now walked over five miles and I was getting tired and hungry. In my younger days I would have remained here all day.

I walked to the basilica and reflected on the leaders of the city. I imagined  that  day in the 3rd century A.D. when an earthquake  stuke  destroying  most of the city. The city survived for a few more centuries but it never regained  the wealth and  the power or influence it had  before the earthquake.

I left the ruins, walking by it’s current inhabitants , a flock of sheep.

I walked back on the highway to reach my car parked near the beach.  I decided to take a quick walk on the  Bolonia Beach, it is supposed to be one of the one of the most beautiful in Spain.

Here I saw large flocks of sanderlings,

and Kentish plovers.   Here  is a link to a gallery on my web site with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hikes . Spain Day Five. Tarifa. Bolonia birds,  March 17 2025

I enjoyed the views of the dunes, the oceans  and the mountains of both Spain and  Africa. It  really was a wonderful place to visit not only for the scenery but also the long history going back to even before  the beginning of civilization.  I understand that there are cave paintings made by prehistoric humans and maybe even  neanderthal in southern Spain. After enjoying the beautiful beach  I drove back to Tarifa.   Here is a link to a gallery on my web site with some more photos from my hike in Bolonia and in the Roman ruins. . Spain Day Five. Tarifa. Bolonia Baelo  Claudia, March 17 2025.

It was  mid afternoon when I  returned   to my hotel from my hikes. I edited some photos  but I was hungry and tired.  I wanted to try one of the many fine restaurants in Tarifa. I  learned the two  recommended to me were closed on Sunday. I like the name of a  third,  the Bar el France. However  like all of the restaurants in Tarifia I was told, didn’t open until 7:00 p.m . This is late for me, especially after hiking over 8 miles again, I was tired but also hungry. So I had no choice and  I walked another 1/2  mile to the restaurant in a light rain. The wait and walk were worth it! I enjoyed another delicious meal of grilled tuna served with vegetables and rice. 

And of course I had to have a slice of carrot cake for dessert. It was a great meal and a great way to end another wonderful day on the Iberian Peninsula.. I soon was in bed hoping the forecast for rain and wind the next day would be wrong.

“Hark, now hear the sailors cry,
smell the sea, and feel the sky
let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic…”   Van Morrison  “Into The Mystic”