If you just want to skip ahead to find out what there is to do in Tarifa, click here to jump over some useful background information such as how to get to Tarifa and where to stay.

How to get to Tarifa

Tarifa is a small town at one end of  Spain’s Atlantic Costa de la Luz (Light Coast) in the Province of Cadiz in Andalucia. This region of coast extends all the way from here, through Huelva Province to the border with Portugal. Tarifa sits on the Strait of Gibraltar, just 14km from the North African country of Morocco.

🚗 Tarifa is not far from the big cities such as Sevillá and Málaga. It is perfectly feasible to rent a car and drive around this region of Southern Spain. Just as with most small Spanish towns, cars can enter the old town of Tarifa, but the roads are extremely narrow and can be hard to navigate.

→ Check your car rental options

→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to driving around southern Spain

🅿️ Be aware that in Tarifa, parking can be a problem. We spent a good half hour looking for a space before giving in and parking the car in an official car park (San Sebastian is well located if you’re in the old town). Be sure to factor in the 15 euros parking a day.

🚌 Bus routes from all major cities can be checked on Busbud

🚉 The nearest train station is in Algeciras, which is a thirty-minute bus from Tarifa.

→Check train timetables and buy tickets on RailEurope

✈️ Tarifa is within easy reach of four airports: Málaga, Sevilla, Gibraltar, and Tangier.

→ Check your flight options here

Brief history of Tarifa

When is the best time of year to visit Tarifa?

This really depends on what you’re coming for. People searching out great windy conditions for kitesurfing are probably going to want to come at a different time of year than people wanting to sunbathe and admire the beautiful views.

🌸 Spring – good winds for kitesurfing. March is the windiest month in Tarifa

🔆 Summer – the summer months of June – September are considered to be Tarifa’s high season when the wind is less strong, the ocean is at its warmest and the tourists flock here

🍁 Autumn – good winds for kitesurfing

🧤 Winter – decent wind for learning to kitesurf. Still warm with average temperatures of 18-23C

Where to stay in Tarifa

📋 Checklist of the best things to do in Tarifa

Explore the Old Town

☑️ Isla de Tarifa and Centro de Interpretacíon

This is one of my absolute favourite activities in Tarifa because most people don’t know about the possibilities of exploring here.

It is not permitted to enter the island (also called Isla de las Palomas) except on the official daily tour. To do this you must reserve your spot at the Tourist Information Centre in Tarifa in advance. I emailed to do this.

The tour takes you around the island, explaining some of the history from Phoenician times up to the modern-day military history of the island. The views of the African continent from the end of the island (the official most southerly point of Europe) are amazing (see photo above).

The small Interpretation Centre was only opened at the end of 2022 and is extremely informative. 

Note that the tour was given in Spanish but I noticed the guide translating quietly for the non-Spanish speakers as we walked so it’s worth asking if it’s available in English when you book.

☑️ Mirador de Africa 

This is a good spot for enjoying the views across to the neighbouring continent.

☑️ Mercado Publico de Tarifa

Visit this covered food market in the old town of Tarifa early in the day to peruse the stalls, buy your picnic items to eat on the beach later and then grab a coffee in the cafe area. 

☑️ Wander the old streets of Tarifa

As you explore the narrow streets of Tarifa’s old town don’t miss Iglesia de San Mateo, the Puerta de Jerez (a large old gate at the entrance to the old town) and the gorgeous plazas. Enjoy browsing in the fabulous shops and be sure to sit in a cafe and people watch.

☑️ Castillo de Santa Catalina

This castle is something of a symbol of Tarifa. It sits atop a small hill between the two oceans. It was built in 1933 after the English demolished the previous hermitage during the War of Independence. The building is currently abandoned so take a look as you walk by as it isn’t open to the public.

☑️ Castillo de Guzmán el Bueno 

This tenth century fortress is the most southern castle in all of Europe. It was built in 960 by Abd al-Rahman III and is today considered to be one of the best preserved defensive enclosures in all of Spain. Shortly after the 1292 conquest, the castle’s governor, Alonso Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno chose to sacrifice his own son instead of surrendering the stronghold: whether this really affords him the accolade “El Bueno” or not is something we can discuss over a beer.

Tickets can be bought in advance or upon arrival. Guided tours are offered.

Explore the beaches

Even if you’re not in Tarifa for windy-watery activities you simply must visit these incredible beaches. In the town Tarifa you have two beaches with easy access:

☑️ Playa Chica: the very first Mediterranean beach 

This is a tiny bay with clean calm water and a gorgeous sandy beach. By September the water is chilly but it’s delightful in the summer. There is a wooden path along the sand and down to the water provided for people with mobility issues.

☑️ Frontera Mar Mediterráneo – Océano Atlántico

While not a beach, this walkway between the two bodies of water is both the only way to reach the Isla de Tarifa as well as a fabulous opportunity to stand with a different sea on either side of you. Be sure to take photos with the signs! And at the far end, just under the gateway to the island, on either side are small beaches that the locals enjoy.

Nearby don’t miss the Monumento Atún y Viento – this is a cool tuna weathervane that names the winds for you. We loved it once we figured out what it was.

☑️ Playa de los Lances: the very last Atlantic beach

On the other side of the Isla de Tarifa walkway is Playa de los Lances, a huge sweeping beach where you can while away the hours watching people kitesurfing (first photo of this article), enjoy a sundowner in a chiringuito (beach restaurant/cafe) and generally frolic around.

☑️ Beaches just outside Tarifa

Further out of town towards Playa de Bolonia are Playa Punta Paloma and Playa Valdevaqueros, which are both extremely popular with kite surfers. 

☑️ Playa de Bolonia: a natural monument

Playa de Bolonia, located just within Parque Natural del Estrecho, is one of the most beautiful beaches you can imagine. This beach stretches around a glorious bay that is almost 4 km long and 70 m wide. Visit here for incredible sand dunes and the archaeological site that is the impressive Roman ruin of Baelo Claudia (see below).

Between the ruins, the dunes, the incredible turquoise crystal clear waters and views of Africa, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a more magnificent beach. In fact, this beach is one of the best beaches in Andalucía and it simply cannot be missed when you’re in Tarifa. 

The Grand Dune is located on the west of the beach and was named a natural monument in 2001. The dune is in constant motion thanks to the strong easterly wind (seriously strong, we could barely sit on the beach for our picnic the first time we visited).

Many people like to climb this dune. We did it and it took around 40 minutes. We eventually found ourselves at tree level looking out over the top of the beach forest to the bay and ocean. It was breathtaking (in the good way!) and absolutely is recommended as long as you have a decent level of fitness. 

Remember: you’re never too old to enjoy rolling or running down a big sandy dune!

 

🍽️ There are a few small restaurants (chiringuitos) along the beach. Note that they are closed mid-December to March.

🛟 In the summer there are lifeguards and the beach is safe for kids.

🧜🏽‍♀️ Just below the dune, the beach is officially a nudist beach (just so you’re aware).

➕ If you don’t have time to get to the official Baelo Claudia site then there is a boardwalk from the beach from where you can view it perfectly.

Wind and water based activities

☑️ Kitesurf, windsurf and SUP all along the coast

You can rent equipment and go solo or you can book classes if you aren’t ready to head out onto the ocean alone.  

Although we love to take surfing classes (we’ve taken them in Portugal and Mexico), this felt a little wild for us so we just watched the kite surfers with admiration and wonder from the beach at Playa de los Lances. 

☑️ Dolphin and whale watching tours

There are a few companies offering tours. We went with Tumares boat because they promised ethical tours. I highly recommend this as an activity. We saw other similar sized boats out there as well as smaller boats offering private tours. We had an incredible 2.5 hours on our tour during which time we saw dozens of dolphins and one or two whales.

👣 Book the MexicoCassie recommended dolphin/whale tour now to sail around the Strait of Gibraltar’s UNESCO recognised biosphere reserve seeing whales and dolphins in their natural environment.

Day trips from Tarifa

If you’re in Tarifa for a few days and aren’t kitesurfing obsessed then you’ll probably want to consider a day trip or two.

My recommendation is to rent a car and explore on your own but if you’re not excited by that idea, I’ve included some tour options I recommend checking out.

🚘 View rental car options and prices here

☑️ Baelo Claudia Roman Ruins and Playa de Bolonia

➡️ Explore the ruins, play on the beach, have a picnic or lunch in a beach cafe before climbing the dunes. End your day with horse riding on the beach.

Baelo Claudia Ruins are some of the most striking Roman ruins you’ll ever come across, so fantastically located are they right next to the beach. Just 22 km from Tarifa this is a perfect low-key day trip from Tarifa.

The town was originally a fishing village and port when it was settled 2000 years ago. It was abandoned in 600 CE. This archaeological site is considered to be more comprehensive than any other Roman town ruins on the Iberian Peninsula including Mérida, Italica (outside Sevilla) and even Conímbriga outside Porto. Of course the location in El Estrecho Natural Park is quite magnificent.

🆓 Entry to the site is free. If it is closed, head down to the beach as there is a boardwalk from which you can see the site pretty well.After you’ve explored the ruin, head down to the beach for some idyllic beach time / a long climb up the dunes for incredible views over the bay.

👣 Book your horse riding on the beach experience here

☑️ Day Trip to Tangier, Morocco

➡️ Morocco is just 14 km across the Strait of Gibraltar making the city of Tangier a great option for an unforgettable day trip to North Africa. 

We opted to book the boat online in advance and made a plan of what we wanted to see in Tangier. We ended up walking around a lot and not seeing as much as I’d hoped as we got extremely distracted by all the lovely shops. Next time I’d definitely consider taking a tour so we can see more.

→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to taking a day trip to Tangier here

👣 Book the MexicoCassie recommended day trip to Tangier – I read through the reviews of dozens of tours and this is by far the best tour. Your local guide will show you around the city and nearby sites before taking you to explore the Tangier medina. 3-course lunch and water plus entrance and ferry tickets are included.

Highlights of Tangier day trip

🛂 Remember: You’ll need a passport for this trip.

📲 You might also want to pick up an E-sim to make life easier (I forgot that my EU roaming wouldn’t work in Morocco, and I regretted it).

☑️ Day trip to Cadiz  

➡️ Cadiz is an ancient and vibrant city full of great food, culture and coastal walks

Highlights of a Cádiz day trip

→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to spending the day in Cádiz

→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to exploring Cádiz with kids

☑️ Gibraltar day trip

➡️ This geographic and cultural anomaly of Britain in Spain can’t be missed if you’re in the region.

Highlights of a Gibraltar day trip

→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to exploring Gibraltar

🛂 Remember, you’ll need a passport for this trip.

☑️ Seville day trip

➡️ Sevilla, the capital of Andalucía is an extremely beautiful city that’s small enough to explore on foot for a day

Highlights of a Sevilla day trip

→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to spending 1 day in Seville

→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to what Seville is so famous for

Explore the Natural Parks

☑️ Parque Natural del Estrecho

This is a long stretch of coastline from Cabo de Gracia near Bolonia to Punta del Carnero (near Algeciras). It is the southernmost protected area in all of Europe and it covers both the Med and the Atlantic. Its maritime areas are home to over 19000 species of marine flaura and fauna. On land there is also an impressive range of habitats that include sand dunes, coak oak woods and offshore sandbanks.

Its location on the Strait of Gibraltar also makes it a prime location for birdwatching, as it is on the main migration route for birds between Africa to Europe.

➕ Go snorkelling in the Parque Natural del Estrecho

☑️ Los Alcornocales

This incredible natural park stretches across the provinces of Cádiz and Malaga and is home to the largest cork oak forest on the Iberian Peninsula. The abundance of rain this park receives means it is home to some of the most extraordinary landscapes on the entire peninsula – long ravines called ‘canutos’, that are home to a unique plant biosphere.

Eat excellent food in Tarifa

We felt spoiled for food choice in Tarifa and that four days wasn’t enough to try all the restaurants we wanted to enjoy. We ate at:

🍽 El Ancla – excellent seafood.

🍽 El Lobo – truly excellent food but service was very slow so if you’re starving or in a rush it might not be for you! The ribs were perfection.

🍽 Pizzeria Mezzometro – we grabbed decent slices of pizza here.

🍽 Pastelaria Bernal – The pastries are excellent and there’s a nice garden if you squeeze around the counter.

→ Use the MexicoCassie guides to finding vegetarian food, to feeding the kids and to making the most of breakfast while you’re in Tarifa.