The southern most town in Europe has a relaxed atmosphere, because of the many water sports, wind and kite surfers that go there. The town of Tarifa on the quite unspoiled Costa de la Luz got the name from, the Moorish leader, Tarif ibn Malik, who captured the old town in 711.

Tarifa has a quaint old quarter, with of a maze of white buildings, narrow roadways all enclosed by ancient walls. The old gate into Puerta de Jerez, was constructed after the Christians recaptured the town. One of the main Tarifa attractions is the old Castle of Guzman El Bueno, which has a fascinating, yet awful tale of the son of the Christian General Alonso Perez de Guzman the Moors had captured and threatened to kill if his father didn not surrender the town. He declined and had to watch on as the Moors murdered him. Other local attractions include the San Mateo church, which is dated from the early 15th century, plus the Mirador de Miramar which has wonderful views of the Rif mountains of Morocco.

The best of the Tarifa beaches is the Playa de los Lances, that stretches for just over 6 miles toward the massive dunes of Punta Paloma. The beach is a top location for kite and windsurfers because of the regular sea breezes on this part of the Spanish coast, There are better sheltered beaches like the small Playa Chicitita for sun bathing. Another sport that is found in Tarifa is sub aqua despite some quite strong currents, but the sea visibility is very good and there is a host of sealife to view.

Tarifa is well known as for whale and dolphin spotting boat trips, with various companies offering different excursions. Because of the proximity of Africa, which is just over 8 miles away, there are high speed Tarifa ferries (on catamarans) to the Moroccan port of Tangiers.

During the evening try visiting the Cafe Central, which has a youngish clientele or one of the other music bars in this sector of the old town. Tarifa restaurants offer a good variety of food, including Italian, Chinese, Mexican and North African. Tarifa fiestas are numerous including the February parade and the Festival de la Virgen de Luz in September, which ends in a procession of fine horses through the town streets.

The Tarifa bus terminal is located in the calle Batalla del Salado, and there are run from there to Madrid and also Algeciras. Tarifa is very popular during the high season, so if you are intending to stay there during July or August, it would be advisable to book your hotel well in advance.

To find out about attractions, advice and information with reference to Tarifa on the Costa de la Luz, please see Tarifa