Jeff ekes out a living from all kinds of swindling and semi-illegal acitivities, constantly getting into trouble. He describes his exploits as ‘active criminal art’, while his friend Moussa tries to put their lives on a more respectable footing and to limit the damage Jeff causes. Jeff suffers from amnesia, so Moussa’s most important job is to write down exactly what Jeff does. Jeff’s latest trick in Berlin leads the two into serious trouble. They beat a retreat and take the next last-minute flight available, ending up in Benidorm where they share quarters with the gypsy Quillo and his wife Paquita.

Eventually, Jeff and Moussa become friends with the two. Jeff falls in love with Paquita, while Quillo comes to admire Jeff and works as his partner when Jeff takes on a job as guide for ‘wild adventure tours’. Suffering another bout of amnesia, Jeff kidnaps the tourists and forces them into a kind of survival training …