Why Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, historically known as Hajar Badis or the Rock of Badis, is a Spanish exclave and former tidal island situated in the Alboran Sea within the western Mediterranean. Located 119 kilometers southeast of Ceuta, the rocky peninsula measures 400 meters long from northwest to southeast, up to 100 meters wide, and covers an area of roughly 1.9 hectares. Originally a natural island near the town of Badis, its geography changed in 1930 when a severe thunderstorm washed large amounts of sand into the maritime channel. This event formed a sandy tombolo that permanently tied the landform to the African continent via an 85-meter-long isthmus, creating the shortest single land-border segment in the world. A separate rocky isthmus extends eastward, connecting the peninsula to a smaller outcrop known as La Isleta.
As a historic possession designated as a plaza de soberanía, or stronghold of sovereignty, the territory is administered directly by the Spanish central government in Madrid. It maintains no civilian population, and its inhabitants consist solely of a small contingent of Spanish military personnel. The landform remains subject to a territorial claim by Morocco, which considers the peninsula alongside other regional Spanish sovereign outposts to be part of its territory.
The site has a documented military history tied to Mediterranean commerce and security. Following a 1496 agreement between Spain and Portugal defining coastal influence zones, a 1508 Spanish expedition under Pedro Navarro captured the rock to eliminate a base used by pirates raiding southern Spain. Spanish control ended in 1522 when a Moroccan Berber attack killed the entire garrison. In 1554, the Wattasid ruler Ali Abu Hassun granted the rock to Ottoman forces, who used it for corsair operations near the Strait of Gibraltar. Concerned by the Ottoman presence, the Sa'di sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib compelled the local population to relocate to the kasbah of Senada in 1564 and transferred the territory to Spain. Broader Spanish initiatives in Morocco later expanded following the 1578 Battle of Alcácer Quibir and the 1580 Iberian Union under Philip II. In 2012, seven Moroccan activists from the Committee for the Liberation of Ceuta and Melilla, led by Yahya Yahya, briefly assaulted the position.
Access to Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is conducted primarily by air travel. Transportation is supported by a helipad located on the higher sections of the rock, complemented by a landing area situated at the southern end near the primary terrestrial entrance.
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