Cape Trafalgar

This article is about a geographic region in Spain. For the ship of the same name, see SMS Cap Trafalgar.

Cape Trafalgar

Cape Trafalgar (Spanish: Cabo Trafalgar) is a headland in the Province of Cádiz in the south-west of Spain. It lies on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the Strait of Gibraltar at 36°10'58"N, 6°2'2"W. The International Hydrographic Organization defines the Western limit of the strait as a line that joins Cape Trafalgar to the North to Cape Spartel to the South.. The name is of Arabic origin, with the modern pronunciation being a modification of 'Tarf al-Gharb' (Arabic: طرف الغرب‎) meaning 'Western Cape' or 'Cape of the West'.

The Battle of Trafalgar, perhaps the most famous naval battle in history, in which the Royal Navy destroyed Napoleon's combined Spanish and French fleet, took place off the cape. There is a 34-metre-high lighthouse (51 metres above sea level), faro de Cabo Trafalgar, built in 1860.

References

• Libro de Faros (todos los faros de España)