Tarifa

The wind season for kitesurfing runs from spring to early autumn, and the beaches are best from June to September. Summer is warm but windy, which keeps it cooler than the rest of Andalusia. Winters are mild and wet.

The levante (east wind) and poniente (west wind) shape the weather. The levante can blow for days and can be strong, so check the forecast before you go.

• The Castillo de Guzmán el Bueno is a 10th-century Moorish castle in the old town, linked to the legend of Guzmán el Bueno who refused to surrender in 1294.
• The old town has whitewashed lanes, Moorish gates such as the Puerta de Jerez, and the Iglesia de San Mateo, a church with a Baroque façade.
• Baelo Claudia museum is the museum at Baelo Claudia, a Roman town on Bolonia beach, with ruins of a basilica, forum and fish-salting works, about 20 km from town.
• Playa de Los Lances is a wide windy beach north of the old town, and Playa de Valdevaqueros has a large dune and kitesurfing schools.
• Playa de Bolonia and its dune have white sand and Roman ruins at the end.
• The Punta de Tarifa and the lighthouse mark the southernmost point of continental Europe, linked to the town by a causeway.
• Zahara de los Atunes and Atlanterra, further west, have long sandy beaches.

• Try kitesurfing or windsurfing, with a lesson at a school on the beaches.
• Go on a whale and dolphin watching trip in the Strait.
• Walk the old town and climb to the castle at sunset.
• Visit the Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia and the Bolonia dune.
• Take a day ferry to Tangier.

• Tangier, Morocco (1 hour by ferry): a day trip with a passport. Check entry rules.
• Algeciras (about 20 km): a port town with ferries to Africa.
• Gibraltar (about 40 km): a British territory with a rock and nature reserve. Take your passport.
• Cádiz (about 90 km): one of the oldest cities in western Europe.
• Ronda (about 120 km): a town on a gorge.

Other places nearby:

• Southern Andalusia: Algeciras, Cádiz, Jerez de la Frontera and Ronda.
• Costa del Sol: Estepona and Marbella.

• By air: Málaga airport is about 150 km away, Jerez about 130 km and Gibraltar about 40 km. A rental car is the easiest connection.
• By bus: Buses run from Algeciras, Cádiz, Málaga and Seville. There is no railway station.
• By ferry: Ferries run from Tarifa to Tangier in Morocco in about an hour.

• On foot: The old town is compact and flat. The beaches at Los Lances are about 1 km away, and the Valdevaqueros dune is about 10 km out.
• Bus: Local buses run along the coast road to the beaches in summer.
• Cycling: The coast is flat, but the wind can be strong.

• Is a car worth it?: Useful to reach the beaches and Baelo Claudia, but the town itself is easy on foot.
• Parking: Paid parking is available near the old town. Beach car parks fill up in summer.
• Roads: The N-340 coast road is exposed to crosswinds, so drive carefully with a high-sided vehicle.

Tarifa's food is based on Atlantic seafood. The local specialty is red tuna (atún rojo de almadraba), caught with a traditional trap method on the coast, and served raw, grilled or in stews. Also look for fried fish, urta a la roteña (a baked fish dish) and fresh seafood.

The influence of North African cooking is visible in some restaurants.

Tarifa is a safe town. The wind and currents are strong, so beginners should only kitesurf or windsurf with a school and not in strong offshore wind. Use sun protection, as the wind hides the heat. If you cross to Morocco, take your passport and check the entry rules.

The town is named after the Berber commander Tarif ibn Malik, who landed in 710, a year before the Moorish invasion of Spain. The castle was built in 960 by the caliph of Córdoba.

In 1292 the Christian forces took the town, and in 1294 the governor Guzmán el Bueno defended it against a siege. The Battle of the Río Salado in 1340 was fought nearby. In the 1980s the wind made Tarifa a center of windsurfing and later kitesurfing.

Quick practical facts for Spain at a glance: