After our appointment with good friends in Málaga we are again drawn towards the south. We left out Tarifa. A city tour is very nice, but we want to experience a little more of sun, beach and nature. Therefore, we decide to go to the southernmost part of the Iberian Peninsula to Tarifa. A wide sandy beach and wind for kiting attract us. And by the way, the small town of Tarifa itself is supposed to be a beautiful old town.

Old town of Tarifa

The first nights at the southern tip of Spain we spend in Tarifa itself. The tourist season has not yet started in March, so life here is still very quiet and relaxed. The old town is partly still enclosed by the old city walls. First, we have to pass through the old city gate to walk into the old town.
We discover wonderful little winding streets with old white painted buildings. On every corner there is a small café or bar. And additionally, Tarifa is especially known for its good wind conditions for water sports. Accordingly, the surfer vibe runs through the pubs and stores. Very inviting, after the first sight we directly allow ourselves a small time-out in a bakery.
Along the harbor we finish our tour through the small old town of Tarifa. This way we come directly to the insanely long beach on the west side of Tarifa.

Tarifa beach

The fine sandy beach on the west side of Tarifa is divided into several sections. It is not allowed to enter the water with water sports equipment everywhere. Accordingly, it is good to know in advance where we want to go kiting. The most advanced beach section for kiting is directly at Tarifa, called Punto Marroqui.
Further to the northwest there are more beaches, some of which are explicitly reserved for bathers. For many kilometers there are beautiful views and opportunities to experience life on the beach. The walk along the coast is impressive. The waves and the Atlantic Ocean in front of your feet and soon after the beach small, greenly overgrown hills. This landscape continues to the dune from Tarifa after Valdevaqueros. By the way: Valdevaqueros is a kite spot for all levels of kiters. Finally, Paddy also gets his money’s worth here. The dune is rather smaller than previous examples, but the play of colors between light sand and turquoise water is always convincing!
And as a special highlight to us is the view to Africa! From the coast around Tarifa the African continent is within reach. The Strait of Gibraltar lies exactly between us and Africa. All day long we see at least one ship, but often many big cargo ships and tankers passing the Strait of Gibraltar.

During the high season there must be several beach bars directly at the water. However, most of them are not yet built up in March and so we can capture the whole naturalness of the scenery.

Staying with the campervan around Tarifa

Directly at the beach it is probably strictly forbidden to stay overnight with the campervan, especially during the high season. Even during the low season there are reports that the police regularly checks the predestined places and sends the people away. We did not want to get involved in this encounter and so we drove many times back to Tarifa and the next day again to the beach. As soon as we drove a few kilometers inland, the situation was much more relaxed again and staying overnight, as usual in Spain, was no problem.

We spent some comfortable days in Tarifa. It is nice in Tarifa, especially if there is a sportive activity in addition. Furthermore, there are also some hiking trails and bike tours for those who are interested. For us just lying on the beach is usually not enough, but if you are happy with it, you will also get your money’s worth!