How did the Pyrenees affect Spain’s and Portugal’s historical connections with Africa?

The Pyrenees have historically functioned as a formidable land barrier, effectively isolating the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe.12

Because this mountain range hindered easy overland interaction with the European continent, Spain and Portugal traditionally developed stronger associations with Africa and became increasingly tied to the sea. This geographic orientation encouraged the two nations to look southward across the Strait of Gibraltar and toward the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Africa for their historical, political, and economic engagements.123