According to Greek mythology, when Hercules had to perform twelve tasks, one of them was to bring the Cattle of Geryon from the West to Eurystheus. On his way he had to cross what is now known as the Atlas Mountains.
Instead of climbing the mountains, as he easily could, he used his superhuman strength and his indestructible mace and split the mountains in half. That split connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and the rocky outcrops left behind on either side became known as the Pillars of Hercules.
The Straits of Gibraltar
The stretch of water between the two is now known as the Gibraltar Strait, and it was these pillars that the Mediterranean people believed nothing lay beyond except wild seas, the lost continent of Atlantis and the Isles of Hesperides
On the northern side is the Rock of Gibraltar and on the south, Monte Hacho also known as Jebel Musa, in Ceuta.
The Gibraltar Strait is just 7.7 nautical miles or 14.24 km of sea at its narrowest point and it ranges between a depth of 300 and 900 metres. It is a natural gateway from the calm salty waters of the Mediterranean Sea with almost no tides into the rougher tidal Atlantic Ocean.
Ferries cross the Gibraltar Strait many times a day and take about 30 minutes to cross over to Africa. The other option is the longer way round through seventeen countries and covering around 2,000 miles from one pillar to the other.
Crossing the Atlantic
The Romans were among the first to sail through the pillar in the second century B.C. but mostly their explorations were along the coastlines and not out into the wild open seas. It wasn’t until Columbus discovered America in 1492 that sea-faring technology was advanced enough to safely navigate the open sea.
The Pillars are part of the coat of arms on the Spanish flag, which having undergone several transitions, added the pillars to the flag around 1940 as part of the Spain’s coat of arms.
Read more about the Rock of Gibraltar and what to visit there, Gibraltar ferries or about Southern Spain.
For further fascinating reading try
The Pillars of Hercules – A Grand Tour of the Mediterranean by the veteran travel writer Paul Theroux on his journey from Pillar to Pillar the long way round.
The Pillars of Hercules is published by Penguin books with the ISBN 0140245332
See the Legend of the Lizard of Jaen
Rachel L. Webb - Rachel L Webb lives in and writes mainly about Andalucia. She enjoys exploring the region and shares her explorations through her website ...
