Even though it’s a hot spot for windsurfers, kitesurfers and beach-goers, Tarifa is not your average beach town. Located on Spain’s Costa de la Luz, we weren’t sure how interesting Tarifa would be to non-surfers. We’re pleased to let you know that Tarifa is a very nice city with a great historic quarter and rewards visitors with amazing views across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Located on the Iberian Peninsula’s most southern point and only 14 km away from Africa, Tarifa was a sought-after location for thousands of years. Although others set up small villages in the past, it was the Romans who first established a city in the 1st century BCE. After the Romans, the Moors lived here for centuries and left their mark throughout the historic centre. In fact, the name Tarifa comes from the name of Moorish commander, Tarif Ibn Malluk.
ln the 13th century Sancho IV of Castile, known as Sancho The Brave, conquered the Moors. For two hundred years, Tarifa was a border town, guarding Spain from the Moorish Kingdom of Granada. Today, the sites of Tarifa are related to this mix of landlords.
Other than wind sport enthusiasts, Tarifa is often just a quick stop for people hopping on a ferry to Morocco. But by doing this, they miss seeing its quaint Old Town.
When you approach the historic quarter you can’t miss spotting its old wall. We walked by dozens of watchtowers before finding an opening in the wall. The Moorish-built Jerez Gate (Puerta de Jerez) allows you to leave the busy city behind and explore the historic centre.
After walking through Jerez Gate, you’ll be charmed by the scenes in Tarifa’s Old Town. It is a small, but adorable part of the city where white-washed houses squeeze onto the narrow streets. Their wrought iron balconies are decorated with flowers and plants. You’ll find one of these stunning street scenes around every corner.
As you wander these old streets, small squares seem to pop up unexpectedly. Many are littered with patios from local cafes and pubs. In others you’ll find surf shops.
On the edge of Old Town is Castle of Tarifa (Castillo de Guzmán el Bueno). Sitting on the shore of Gibraltar Strait, the castle was originally built in 960 by the Moors. There was likely a Roman fortress on the site previously, but there are no longer any remains from this time. The Spanish modified the castle and renamed it for Alonso Pérez de Guzmán. He defended Tarifa from the Moors in the late 13th century. Most of what we see today was built by Spanish rulers and is in quite good condition.
The castle has a museum inside displaying many artifacts found in the area. The best part of your visit though, is to climb the towers for a spectacular view across the Strait of Gibraltar. We could identify the location of cities in Africa including Spain’s Ceuta and Tangier in Morocco.
From the other side of the castle, we looked down upon the rooftops of the historic centre.
Looking the other way from the castle walls, we saw Isla de Las Palomas. It marks the absolute most southerly point of continental Europe. A fort was built on the island in the 17th century and in 1808, a road connected it to the mainland. You can walk to the end of Calle Segismundo Moret, a man-made causeway, but you cannot enter the fort.
In front of Isla de Palomas is Castillo de Santa Catalina. It looks like a medieval castle, but was actually built in the 1930s. It’s not a castle at all, but a watchtower.
The Castle of Tarifa is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Entry fee is minimal.
After visiting the castle, there are a few other sites to see nearby. On one side is Santa Maria Square, also called Plaza de la Ranita. We first saw this small square from the castle walls and were drawn to its neo-mudejar style building. Mercedes Gaibrois Public Library is an unusual looking building with castle-like turrets and a crenellated roof. We tried to go inside, but unfortunately, it was closed for the afternoon of our visit. The square also has a lovely garden and is edged by interesting heritage buildings.
If you walk toward the water, you’ll find Viewpoint of Africa (El Mirador de África) and the old Miramar Tower. As its name would suggest, we had unimpeded views of Morocco on the other side of the strait.
We tried to see Tarifa from Tangier, Morocco, but the skies weren’t as clear. You can read about Tangier in our post How To Spend A Weekend In Tangier.
Other things to do in Tarifa
If you like kite-surfing, the beaches in Tarifa are considered ideal for windsurfing and kitesurfing. It is called by some, the kite-surfing capital of Europe.
If you’re here late February to November you can go whale watching.
How to get to Tarifa
Direct buses connect Tarifa to both Seville and Málaga. From most other major centres, you will need to change buses in Algeciras. As with many smaller centres in Spain, it is much easier to reach if you have your own car.
One of the most common reason for visitors to stop in Tarifa is to catch a ferry to Morocco. Ferries travel a few times daily between Tarifa and Tangier, Morocco.
If you have your own car, parking is a problem. There is a lot of street parking just outside of the historic quarter, but it was completely full when we were there in shoulder season. There are two paid parking lots on Calle Calzadilla de Tellez near Corchuo Tower.
Tarifa is located only 60 km from Gibraltar so could be used as a base to explore the British Territory. We’ll take you to Gibraltar next.
This article is now featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Tarifa.
To read more of our adventures in Spain, click here.
Coming Next – A Visitor’s Guide to Gibraltar
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