How Far Is Africa from Europe?

How far is Africa from Europe? Most people guess several hundred miles. After all, there is a whole sea in between. Spoiler: At the narrowest point, it is only about 14 kilometers, or 9 miles. That is shorter than a half marathon. Stand on the beach in Tarifa, Spain, and you can see the mountains of Morocco with the naked eye. And it gets better: Two Spanish cities sit right on the African continent. In this post we show you where Europe and Africa almost touch, how deep the water between them is, and why the two continents were actually connected a few million years ago.

Where is the narrowest point between Africa and Europe?

The narrowest point is the Strait of Gibraltar. It connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain from Morocco. Between Punta de Tarifa in Spain and Point Cires in Morocco, sources measure 13 to 14.4 kilometers (8 to 9 miles). Most quote about 14 kilometers.

For context: That is about two thirds the length of Manhattan. On a clear day you can see houses and mountains on the Moroccan coast from Tarifa. Jebel Musa rises 851 meters (2,792 feet) right at Point Cires, so it is hard to miss.

Tarifa is also the southernmost point of mainland Europe. It sits at 36 degrees north. That puts it farther south than two African capitals: Tunis and Algiers.

How deep is the water between the continents?

The Strait of Gibraltar is narrow, but not shallow. At its deepest point it drops about 900 meters (nearly 3,000 feet). That is almost three times the height of the Eiffel Tower. The shallowest point is the Camarinal Sill at roughly 280 to 300 meters (about 950 feet). This sill acts like a doorstep between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

Still, the crossing is doable for swimmers. Every year, athletes swim from Tarifa to Morocco. Because of the strong currents, they usually cover 16 to 22 kilometers (10 to 14 miles) instead of 14. The fastest documented time is about 2 hours and 56 minutes, swum in 2023 by Andy Donaldson from the UK. Most swimmers need 4 to 5 hours.

The ferry is more relaxed. The crossing from Tarifa to Tangier officially takes 35 minutes, about an hour including boarding. So you can have breakfast in Europe and drink mint tea in Africa by lunchtime.

Why are two Spanish cities in Africa?

Ceuta and Melilla are two oddities of geography. Both cities lie on the coast of Morocco, yet they belong to Spain and therefore to the European Union. Ceuta sits right on the Strait of Gibraltar, Melilla about 400 kilometers (250 miles) farther east on the Mediterranean. Ceuta has been Spanish since 1580, Melilla since 1497. So if you ask how far Africa is from Europe, one possible answer is zero. A piece of Europe is already in Africa.

The reverse is true as well. Africa touches Asia at the Sinai Peninsula. Only the Suez Canal, opened in 1869, separates the two continents artificially.

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How do other continent gaps compare?

The Strait of Gibraltar is not the only tight spot between continents. But it is one of the tightest. Here is a comparison:

Africa and Asia are about 26 kilometers (16 miles) apart at the Bab-el-Mandeb between Djibouti and Yemen. Asia and North America are 82 kilometers (51 miles) apart at the Bering Strait. Between the two Diomede Islands in the Bering Strait it is only 3.8 kilometers (2.4 miles), but those are islands, not mainland. Africa and Europe at the Strait of Gibraltar: about 14 kilometers (9 miles).

There is a second narrow spot inside the Mediterranean too. Between Sicily and Tunisia lie about 145 kilometers (90 miles). That sounds like a lot, but compared to the roughly 3,800 kilometers (2,400 miles) the Mediterranean stretches from west to east, it is a thin strip.

Were Africa and Europe ever connected?

Yes, and not that long ago, at least in geological terms. About 5.6 million years ago, the connection to the Atlantic closed. The Mediterranean then dried out almost completely and became a giant salt desert. Scientists call this the Messinian Salinity Crisis.

About 5.33 million years ago, the Atlantic broke through at Gibraltar again. Geologists call this the Zanclean flood. Estimates suggest that at its peak, about 1,000 times the flow of the Amazon River poured into the basin. The Mediterranean refilled within a few years, maybe even a few months. The 900 meter deep channel in the Strait of Gibraltar partly dates from that event.

And the future? Spain and Morocco have been planning a rail tunnel under the strait for decades. The current feasibility study calculates about 42 kilometers (26 miles) of track, 27 kilometers (17 miles) of it underwater, up to 475 meters (1,560 feet) deep. It will not open before 2035 to 2040. Until then, the ferry remains the fastest link.

The one thing to remember

At the narrowest point, only about 14 kilometers (9 miles) separate Africa and Europe. A sea in between makes the distance feel bigger in your head than it is. About 100,000 ships pass through the Strait of Gibraltar every year, roughly 300 per day.

Like surprising geography facts? Then also read Which country has the longest coastline in the world? or How big is Russia really?. Or jump straight into the geography quiz.