Yadid Levy

Tarifa

Tarifa’s southern-tip-of-Spain location, where the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet, gives it a different climate and character to the rest of Andalucía. Stiff Atlantic winds draw in surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers who, in turn, lend this ancient yet deceptively small settlement a refreshingly laid-back international vibe. Tarifa is the last stop in Spain before Morocco, and it's also a taste of things to come. With its winding whitewashed streets and tangible North African feel, the walled windswept old town could easily pass for Chefchaouen or Essaouira. It's no secret, however, and, in August especially, Tarifa gets packed (but that's half the fun).

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Attractions

Must-see attractions

Punta Paloma
Tarifa
One of Andalucía's most fabulous beaches, Punta Paloma, 10km northwest of Tarifa, is famous for its huge blond sand dune. At its far western end, you can…
Playa de Valdevaqueros
Tarifa
Sprawling between 7km and 10km northwest of Tarifa, to the great white dune at Punta Paloma, Valdevaqueros is one of Tarifa's most popular kitesurfing…
Castillo de Guzmán El Bueno
Tarifa
Though built in 960 on the orders of Cordoban caliph Abd ar-Rahman III, this restored fortress is named after Reconquista hero Guzmán El Bueno. In 1294,…
Miramar
Tarifa
This lookout with a tower atop part of the castle walls delivers spectacular views across Tarifa's rooftops and to Africa and 851m Jebel Musa, one of the…
Playa de los Lances
Tarifa
This broad snow-white sandy beach stretches for 7km northwest from Tarifa. The low dunes behind it are a paraje natural (protected natural area).
Playa Chica
Tarifa
On the isthmus leading out to Isla de las Palomas at the southernmost tip of Tarifa town, tiny Playa Chica is more sheltered than other local beaches.
Puerta de Jerez
Tarifa
Guarding the entrance to the old town, the fortified Mudéjar Puerta de Jerez was built by the Moors and embellished after the Christian conquest.
Iglesia de San Mateo
Tarifa
Wind your way through the narrow streets of the old town to Tarifa's main (mostly 16th-century) church, with a soaring neoclassical facade.