Tarifa Spain : Tourist guide to your accommodation in hotels & Apartments and your Windsurfing & Kitesurfing Activities. How to get here by bus, train, airplines (Flying) boat, bus schedules, train time tables

Information on Tarifa Spain

Tourist guide to Tarifa Spain. Information about lodging, hotels, apartments, houses and other accommodation to let.

These pages contain all the information you need to plan your visit. You will find advice on all the activities available. There's more to Tarifa than mesmerising on the beautiful beach!

Tarifa transformed from a strategic military fortress to a remote fishing town, and today tourism flourishes in this melting pot of cultures.

Indulge in a relaxing atmosphere whether at a hotel, apartment or campsite by selecting you preference on the left. Online booking is available with most hotels and apartments.
How to find your ideal Hotel in Tarifa...

If you looking for a Hotel that satisfies your all your demands just select the preferred location, beach, town centre or other, with the drop menu on the left. A list of all the hotels will then be displayed. Just click on the Hotel and you will find all the information and booking facilities. Tarifa in great luxury. Indulge in perfect lifestyle. A complete list of all Hotels follows. On line reservation is possible where (R) is shown.

How to find your ideal Camp site...

Are you looking for the Campsites that satisfies all your demands? From the left select where you would like the camping to be. Then simply click on the name of the Campsite and you will have all the information.

Although not the most comfortable but camping in Tarifa is probably the most traditional way of staying, specially if you are a keen windsurfer. Most campsites are right on the beech and after a good night out it is good to be woken up by the sound of the waves or the rattling of your tent when the wind picks up.

How to find your ideal Apartment in Tarifa...

If you looking for an Apartment that satisfies your all your demands just select the preferred location, beach, town centre or other, on the drop menu on the left. A list of all the Apartments will then be displayed. Just click on the Hotel and you will find all the information and booking facilities.


An apartment with service? The luxury of your own apartment but with out having to worry too much about making the beds and cleaning up. A comprehensive list of all apart hotels available in Tarifa.

How to find your ideal house...

Are you looking for an Apartment, house or villa that satisfies all your demands?
Selecting on the left you can find all the houses offered in Tarifa. Start by selecting where you want your house to be, by the sea, in the town center or other using the menu on the left.

This section only contains individual home owners, which differs form the section Apartments which supply a list of companies which dedicate themselves to renting out apartments.

Tourist guide to Tarifa Spain. Information about windsurfing and Kitesurfing, the centers, schools rentals and the spots where you can sail (surf) with your windsurf and kitesurf

Tarifa has become known as 'the Wind Capital' for many different reasons. Its wind reliability probably tops them all.It is very difficult to have two consecutive non windy days, as the detailed comparative chart shows.

However conditions are not always constant. It is wise to bring your full range of sails (renting locally is any easy option with the many schools spread along the beach). Here it is just as common to sail with your 3.5 m² as it is with your 6.5 m², even if I personally consider the 4.5 m² as the ideal sail. The new trend is to use a wave board in strong winds and kitesurf when winds are weaker.

Apart from rare occasions (during equinoxes and storms) the water is pretty flat, which make it ideal for beginners and slalom sailors. The most radical often make the trip to Caños de Meca which is only 50 km away. This is best after a few days of strong levante.

Just as windsurfing was a combination between sailing and surfing, kite surfing is a combination between power kite flying and surfing. The sport has completely exploded in Tarifa over the past 3 or 4 years. In good wind conditions in summer, it isn't unusual to count over 250 kites in the sea and on the beach……an amazing sight!

It is easy to understand why this sport is so popular - it looks deceptively easy, the jumps and tricks look spectacular and it requires much less wind than windsurfing.The sport is open to everyone of all ages; you need to be in good health and relatively fit (no back, neck or shoulder problems).

Grit determination will also be an asset, because although kite surfing is easier to master than wind surfing, coordinating all those skills at the beginning can be a challenge!

Within the sport of Kite Surfing there are two main learning curves that a new participant will move through. These can conveniently be broken down into power kite flying skills and board skills. Within each of the learning curves are a series of skill areas that go to form the overall activity. It is unlikely that many people will be able to combine these two areas from the word go, without some prior experience in one or the other.

There will be short cuts for people who have either good board skills from a related sport or a high level of power kite flying skills.

Tarifa has two prevailing winds, the south easterly known as the Levante and the westerly known as the Poniente. This is because of the mountain ranges on either side of the straits which not only bends other winds but also acts as a funnel, intensifying it.

However strong winds are also the result of other conditions such as the temperature difference between the Atlantic and Mediterranean and the high and low pressure zones that place themselves on either side of it's coast. The wind, and the weather in general, can change very quickly here and even the most accurate weather forecasts are not always reliable.

In areas such as Casa de Porro it is further accelerated due to thermal differences between the sea and land. This also explains why the winds are strongest between 14:00 and 18:00hr.

Great for windsurfers who want to both sail and stay out late at night. (yeah!!!) Harder for the beginners who normally have to start their courses at 10:00. (sigh :-()

As a rule the Levante is stronger, blows night and day and can last for weeks. Because it blows from land, it is warmer and does not form waves. The Poniente blows from the Atlantic. It's colder and brings in waves, mostly in winter. Nevertheless the best wave seasons are spring and autumn, specially when the winds coincide with full moon. Tides are negligible for the average surfer, but if it's waves you are looking for, it's always best whilst the tide grows.

Still not convinced about Tarifa's wind reputation? Check the comparative charts.

Tarifa has, as to be expected, a highly advanced custom board development and manufacturing work shops; most series board manufacturers often come to Tarifa to test there boards (to see if they are really indestructible even in the most severe conditions).

Windsurf Boards

Traditionally windsurf boards were divided between, Beginners boards over 3m long with a dagger and for the more professional Wave (between 2.45m to 2.80m) and Slalom (<2.60m) boards. Times have changed and Slalom is being replaced with the kitesurfing and other shorter and fatter boards, also known as Bump & Jump, which allow tricks and other fun manouvers.

Kitesurf Boards
Beginner – Directional/3 or 4 fins/1.70 – 2.00m Board typically provided by schools. Good to get you up and going, but not to buy.
Intermediate – Bi-directional Twin tip Symmetrical/5 fins/1.60-1.80m This board should last you for a year or so before you need to chop it in for something smaller.
Advanced- Twin tip/4 fins or Mutant/6 fins/1.40-1.55m
Radical – Twin tip/1.10-1.35m Small board with less volume for tricks and freestyle.
Tarifa is the best place to buy a custom board. Have a better look at what’s available and check out www.tarifamax.net

Tourist guide to Tarifa Spain. All information nature related activities such as horse riding, mountain biking, rock climbing, bird watching, trekking whale watching

The positioning of Tarifa, the most southern tip of Europe, but more so, the point that separates Europe from Africa and the Mediterranean from the Atlantic produces a unique micro climate. This is immediately identifiable by the strong prevailing winds which keep the temperatures mild all year round. These very same winds have discouraged mass tourism and development. However with the new trend of nature related holidays, places such as Tarifa which boast virgin beaches and vast uncontaminated landscape are becoming ever more popular.

Any way, to cut the story short, for you lovers of nature related activities, this is a list of what can be done here.
mountain-biking,
scuba-diving,
free-climbing,
surfing,
horse-riding,
fishing,
hang-gliding
trekking etc. .... and newest of all
kite surfing.
For those more interest in cultural activities please visit our history pages and rediscover the traces ancient civilisations have left behind.

The marine currents are powerful and flow in and out of the Mediterranean. This enhances the interchange of living organisms, enriching both the fauna and the vegetation of the Cadiz waters. The same currents which differ in both temperature, salt contents, and hence the diversity of the sea beds off the coast, increases the variety of habitats and increase the number of its cetaceans and other fish.
Its geographic position, the coast around the Straits, is a convergence zone of different migration routes, both of terrestrial and aerial. This, of course, applies to its marine life too, where abundant different fishes and cetaceans move seasonally from one sea to the other to spawn.

Trips are organised from Tarifa to see whales and other cetaceans all year round.

Anybody sailing or accessing the sea must take into account its currents, and although the tides are negligible in most periods the current strength and direction changes swiftly. This can be seen in clam days where the water appears to be bubbling in restricted areas.

Despite having strong currents many places remain protected and the rocky bed keeps the water extremely clear. Ideal for scuba divers nevertheless care should be taken

This is an updated table of the tides height and times

When two large water recipients such as the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea meet in just one and only place and with just a mere 14km dividing it, it is no surprise that there must be something special going on.

The sheer diversity between temperatures, salt contents, currents and natural environment of these two water stretches, generate two distinct animal habitat which, curiously enough, need each other to survive.

So many species on land and water use this connecting point to enter new environments for breeding feeding or simply protection and Tarifa's strategic position is ideal to see all this happening.

If you want to know more about Whales and other cetaceans or even better organise a trip to see them for your self please visit Firmm, a Swiss foundation based in Tarifa that dedicates itself just to that. Although windsurfing is certainly the most predominant water sport in Tarifa, the waters of the Straits provide wide opportunity for divers.

Tarifa is an underwater paradise!

A wild and attractive sea bed, abrupt and often breathtaking, endows Tarifa and the nearby spots with a submerged garden of immense beauty, ideal for the most water sports.
The variety of spots, the different depths and the transparency of the water allow the practice of diving at any level.

Of course the Straits of Gibraltar and adjoining zones are synonymous to respect-imposing currents but, with the help of the local instructors, there is no reason for not taking advantage of these characteristics.

There are various certified diving schools in the area with courses and rent out equipment for licensed divers. Remember to bring your licence you will not be allowed without it.

What happens above the sea and land is probably the natural element to stand out most. The wind just never seems to stop. From which ever direction you come in from you will be overwhelmed by the number of windmills charging up. The number bas been kept down only to strong ecological resistance who have capped the limit to 3000 windmills. Spain is the second largest producer in the world. The contradicting situation is that despite being clean and renewable wind mils do, when too many are placed, ruin the landscape, make considerable noise, ruin the uncontaminated territory and be a menace to bird life.

The bird life is very active in this area, not only for the birds who have nested in this area, I was quite taken back to see vultures, something I have only related to dark Africa, but it is also one of the most popular navigation points for all birds migrating between Europe and Africa.

As for sport activities related to the air, with out going into kitesurfing is hang-gliding.

With such a unique positioning, the intersection of two continents and two seas with such different characteristics it is not hard to understand why the territory is so particular and different to its surrounding territories to say the least. The local microclimate, mild throughout the year, the ever blowing winds, which reach incredible forces at times, have shaped the landscape for good.

Andalucia is mostly dry and hot, just ask people living in Algeciras a mere 20km away. Tarifa however, also thanks to its mountain ranges facing the Ocean, often causes cloud formation and frequent precipitation. It could be sunny at the beach and raining in the mountains and still be in Tarifa. Having said this I do not want to hide the chronic water shortage problem Tarifa shares with the rest of southern Spain but that Tarifa could be considered luckier than most of its neighbours. The ever growing population, specially the demographic explosion it endures each summer makes a considerate use of water vital.

Nevertheless to stay on a brighter tone these conditions leave the territory and its views breathtaking. Find out about the national park its natural habitat and animal life, and all the activities which may be carried out.

Horse-riding has a long tradition in Spain and is specially pleasant in Tarifa, thanks to its wide beaches and natural environment.

There are several places where you can take lessons and hire beautiful Andalusian horses. We personally recommend speaking to Christina at Aventura Ecuestre by the Dos Mares Hotel , right on the beach, Camping Paloma and Cortijo Las Piñas , also offer this service.

There are so many trails that it's hard to recommend any in particular, better ask your guides at the stables.

In Tarifa mountain-biking comes second only to windsurfing (some would even put it before), as the surrounding mountains offer unique mountain-biking experiences.

The great variety of trails makes biking appealing at all levels.
Contrary to what you might expect, the climate is ideal all year round due to the winds that refresh the air.

We recommend that you consult a map and follow the suggested routes that, depending on the wind direction, will avoid you pedaling against wind.

Despite being a coastal town, Tarifa's off road routes easily reach an altitude of over 800 metres in less than 20 Km. with excellent downhill possibilities. Andalucias Downhill championship has often been held here.

If all this is not enough do not to forget that the Alcornocales National Park starts here and offers more dirt road than a normal person can pedal in a week, apart from the beautiful scenes and wild life displayed.

Other route will take you through many of the historical sites the several ancient cultures have left behind. See our cultural pages and discover how, despite not having a mountain bike at disposal, many invaders of the area traveled large distances to reach Tarifa. There must be something to it!

Looking for something different? Have a look a property and sailing in Capo Verde