Tarifa: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Tarifa takes its name from Tarif ibn Malik, the Berber commander who landed here in 710 on a raid that came a year before the Muslim conquest of Spain. Africa is so close that on a clear day you can see houses on the Moroccan shore. This walk goes from the old gate through the walled town to the castle and out along the causeway to the southern tip of the continent. About two hours, flat; a hat in summer, a windbreaker always.
A short history of Tarifa
Tarifa is the southernmost point of mainland Europe, and only about 14 kilometres separate it from Morocco. It is named after Tarif ibn Malik, the Muslim commander who landed here in 710, a year before the great invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. In 1292 King Sancho IV of Castile captured it, and in 1294 it was defended by Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, 'Guzmán el Bueno', who according to tradition preferred to let the enemy kill his son rather than surrender the town. The 10th-century castle still stands. The strong wind that blows through the Strait turned Tarifa in the 20th century into the windsurfing and kitesurfing capital of Europe.
The ten best sights in Tarifa
1Port of TarifaFerries to Tangier in about an hour; a day trip to Africa is easy
2Castle of Guzmán el BuenoWalk the walls for the view across the strait; Morocco fills the horizon
3Puerta de JerezThe main gate into the old town; park outside, everything inside is on foot
4Church of San MateoThe main church on the old town's high street; cool inside at noon
5Church of San FranciscoOn a quiet square of cafés inside the walls
6Baelo ClaudiaA Roman town on a beach; the museum explains the fish-sauce factories
7Punta de TarifaThe southernmost point of mainland Europe, at the end of the causeway
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8Isla de las Palomas
Military land; the causeway is open, the island itself only on guided visits
9Mirador del EstrechoOn the cliff road from Algeciras; the best first look at Africa
10Playa ChicaSmall sheltered beach by the causeway, calm when the wind blows
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Tarifa →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Tarifa:
Free walking tours in Tarifa
The edge of Europe
Tarifa takes its name from Tarif ibn Malik, the Berber commander who landed here in 710 on a raid that came a year before the Muslim conquest of Spain. Africa is so close that on a clear day you can see houses on the Moroccan shore. This walk goes from the old gate through the walled town to the castle and out along the causeway to the southern tip of the continent. About two hours, flat; a hat in summer, a windbreaker always.
- Puerta de Jerez · Castile took Tarifa in 1292 under King Sancho IV, and the Puerta de Jerez dates from the walls rebuilt after the conquest. It is still the main way into the old town.
- Church of San Mateo · San Mateo was built in the early 16th century at the bottom of the main street of the old town. Its baroque façade was added later.
- Castle of Guzmán el Bueno · The castle was founded in 960 by the Córdoba caliph Abd al-Rahman III. In 1294, besieged here, Alonso Pérez de Guzmán was told his captive son would be killed unless he surrendered; he threw down his own knife instead. The boy was killed, the town held, and Guzmán became 'el Bueno', the Good.
- Playa Chica · Tarifa sits where two seas meet: on the east of the causeway is the Mediterranean, on the west the Atlantic. Playa Chica faces the Atlantic side, tucked behind the causeway out of the wind.
- Isla de las Palomas · The island is still military ground, which is why it stays closed except on organised visits. The lighthouse at its tip marks the entrance to the strait for ships passing between the two seas.
- Punta de Tarifa · This is the southernmost point of continental Europe, at about 36 degrees north. Across the water is the coast of Morocco, about 14 kilometres away at the strait's narrowest.
Romans, tuna and the dune
For three thousand years people on this coast have lived off the tuna that pass through the strait each spring on their way into the Mediterranean. The Romans salted it and made fish sauce, the villages still trap it in nets, and the beaches between them are among the wildest in Spain. This drive goes west along the coast from Tarifa to Zahara. Half a day to a full one; take swimwear and water, and check the wind before choosing a beach.
- Playa de Los Lances · Tarifa is one of Europe's windiest places: the Levante blows from the east and the Poniente from the west, funnelled by the strait. That is why Los Lances is lined with kitesurf schools rather than sunbeds.
- Torre de la Peña · The tower is one of the coastal watchtowers built in the 16th century to warn of raids by North African corsairs. A fire on top could pass a warning along the coast within hours.
- Playa de Valdevaqueros · The big dune at the west end of the beach is moving inland, pushed by the Levante, and has swallowed part of the road and the pine wood behind it. Fences of reeds are meant to slow it.
- Baelo Claudia · Baelo Claudia was a Roman town built around factories that salted tuna and made garum, the fermented fish sauce Romans put on almost everything. The emperor Claudius gave it the status of a municipium, and the forum, theatre and salting tanks are still there on the beach.
- Duna de Bolonia · The dune is about 30 metres high and is a protected natural monument. It too is advancing into the pines, so the trees at its edge stand half buried in sand.
- Zahara de los Atunes · Zahara is an almadraba village: in spring a maze of nets anchored offshore traps the bluefin tuna on their way into the Mediterranean, a method that goes back to the Phoenicians. In May and June the restaurants hold tuna weeks.
Two continents and a rock
From Tarifa the strait is a road, not a border: ferries leave for Tangier, and the Rock of Gibraltar rises at the other end of the bay. This route climbs the cliff road east for the view, crosses the bay towns and ends at Gibraltar's odd airport. A full day with a car, or split it: the Tangier ferry alone makes a day. Passports for both Gibraltar and Morocco.
- Port of Tarifa · The fast ferry to Tangier takes about an hour, and Morocco is one hour behind Spain for much of the year — so you can arrive almost when you left. Many people go for the day and come back on the evening boat.
- Isla de las Palomas · Whale-watching boats leave from Tarifa because the strait is a corridor for cetaceans: pilot whales and dolphins live here year-round, and orcas follow the tuna in summer.
- Mirador del Estrecho · From this cliff the Rif mountains of Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta are in plain sight across the water. Storks and raptors cross the strait here in huge numbers in spring and autumn, riding the thermals.
- Algeciras Station · Algeciras is one of the busiest ports in the Mediterranean, and the railway inland from here was built by a British company in the 1890s. Today it is the end of the line from Madrid.
- Gibraltar · Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain in the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, and it is still a British overseas territory. The Rock is home to Barbary macaques, the only wild monkeys in Europe.
- Gibraltar International Airport · The airport's runway crosses Winston Churchill Avenue, the main road into Gibraltar, so traffic and pedestrians are stopped by barriers each time a plane lands or takes off.
Getting to Tarifa and getting around
- Gibraltar International Airport · About 40 minutes away; bring a passport — you walk across the border into Spain
- Algeciras Station · The nearest train, about 25 minutes by car; lines inland towards Ronda and Madrid
- Tarifa Bus Station · Buses to Algeciras, Cádiz and Seville; in summer a beach bus runs along the coast
Cheap eats in Tarifa
Tarifa eats from the strait. In spring the almadraba nets off the coast catch bluefin tuna, and from then on it appears everywhere — raw, grilled, in tomato, cured as mojama. The rest of the year it is small fried fish eaten from a paper cone, churros with thick chocolate for breakfast, and a toast with olive oil and tomato at the market bar. Morocco is an hour away by boat, so mint tea and tagine are on the menu too.
- Churrería La Palmera · Churros with a cup of hot chocolate, about €3-5
- Bar El Mercado · Market-bar breakfast: toast with oil and tomato and a coffee, about €3
- Freiduría La Almena · A cone of mixed fried fish to take away, about €6-10
- Bar El Francés · Tapas at the bar in the old town, about €2.50-4 each
- Pastelería Bernal · Pastries and cakes on the main street, about €1.50-3
- La Golosa · Ice cream for the walk to the castle, about €3
Museums in Tarifa
- Castle of Guzmán el Bueno · Caliphal walls and towers; small entry fee
- Baelo Claudia · Roman ruins and a modern museum; free for EU citizens
- Church of San Mateo · Gothic interior, baroque front; free outside service times
- Puerta de Jerez · The surviving gate of the medieval walls
Nature and day trips near Tarifa
- Duna de Bolonia · Climb in the morning, before the sand heats up
- Parque Natural del Estrecho · Cliffs, coves and pine woods from Tarifa to Algeciras
- Punta Paloma · Quiet end of Valdevaqueros, under the big dune
- Mirador del Estrecho · Bring binoculars in September for the raptors
- Playa de Valdevaqueros · Watch the kites from the dune; swimming is better on calm days
Things to do in Tarifa with kids
- Playa Chica · Small, sheltered and close to town
- Port of Tarifa · Whale-watching boats leave from here, about two hours
- Duna de Bolonia · Running down the dune is the reward for the climb
- Castle of Guzmán el Bueno · Towers and walls to walk, and Africa to spot
Where to eat in Tarifa
- La Pescadería · Seafood on the Alameda, facing the port; book in summer
- El Ancla · Grilled and fried fish near the port
- Boccabuena · Seafood and Spanish dishes on the way to the causeway
- El Lola · Regional tapas on a lane inside the walls
- Mandragora · Moroccan cooking behind the church of San Mateo
Frequently asked questions about Tarifa
What is there to see in Tarifa?
The top sights in Tarifa are Port of Tarifa, Castle of Guzmán el Bueno and Puerta de Jerez. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Tarifa?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Tarifa without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Tarifa?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Tarifa, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The edge of Europe.
How do you get to Tarifa and get around?
The main ways are Gibraltar International Airport, Algeciras Station and Tarifa Bus Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Tarifa, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Tarifa that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Tarifa for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.