Tarifa

History:

Tarifa is a small town situated in Andalusia, Spain. It is located 14 km from the coast of Africa, across the Straits of Gibraltar. There are archaeological evidences that this town was settled in the pre-Roman period.

When the Romans came, they gave the town the name Julia Transducta. Julia Transducta was the first point of the Arab invasion in the 10th century. Three centuries passed till the town fell into Christian hands again. It was in 1292, when the Spanish King Sancho IV of Castile conquered the town.

What to visit:

Most of the medieval walls around the city were constructed in the 18th century. Nevertheless, Tarifa has many old buildings to show. The entrance to the city is at the Jerez Gate, originally constructed in the 8th century and recently restored. In the centre of the city is situated a magnificent church from the 16th century – the Church of San Mateo.

This Gothic style church was first a mosque. A beautiful castle – the Castle of Guzman the Bueno, was built on the remains of a Roman fort in the 10th century. At that time, it was an Arab fortification, with two big towers to protect the city. Across the entrance of the castle is La Alameda – beautiful gardens with iron benches and rows of palm trees.

Activities:

In Tarifa the sea meets the ocean, so this is the perfect place for those who like water sports, whale and dolphin watching or traveling by boat. Tarifa has several well-known surf centers: Dragon Kite and Windsurf School, Club Mistral at the Hurricane Hotel, Club Mistral at Hotel Valdequeros and Kite Obsession Surf School. This is where visitors can rent the equipment and the beginners can take classes.

Those who like horse riding can ride horses in the nearby mountain or along the golden beaches. The departures are from the Hurricane hotel. Whale and dolphin watching is one of the most interesting activities in Tarifa. Boats with tourists accompanied by sea biologists go to the open sea near the Straits of Gibraltar. This is a place where the whales and dolphins approach the boats. The tourists can take pictures or film them.

There is another interesting activity related to the boats – boat trips to Morocco. There are daily trips to the North of Africa but 2 day tours are also available. If you like to swim and get some suntan lying on the beach whole day, you can visit some of the magnificent beaches.

Tarifa’s most famous beach is Playa de los Lanches. This is a 10 km long sandy paradise and the location where the surf championships take place. Near the Hurricane Hotel lies a small lagoon – Playa de Valdevaqeros. It is surrounded with sand dunes of sparkling white-colored sand.