The Caves of Hercules
Near Tangier, a sea cave opens onto the Atlantic through a hole shaped like a map of Africa. Legend says Hercules rested here.
What was reported
The Caves of Hercules are a group of caves at Cape Spartel, west of Tangier, where the Atlantic meets the Strait of Gibraltar. The most famous opening, facing the sea, is shaped strikingly like the outline of Africa.
Legend says that the hero Hercules rested in the cave during his Twelve Labours, before separating Africa from Europe to create the strait. Another story says a tunnel from the cave runs all the way under the sea to Spain.
Explanations offered
The caves are partly natural and partly man-made: for centuries, people cut millstones from the rock, which enlarged them and created the famous opening. There's no tunnel to Spain. Archaeologists have found traces of prehistoric people.
- When
- Linked to legend since ancient times
- Where
- Cape Spartel, near Tangier, Morocco
- Witnesses
- Visitors and Moroccan tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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