This town of Cadiz is one of the most popular destinations in Andalusia for its beautiful natural beaches and very popular among tourists.
Tarifa has a mild climate throughout the year, blending Mediterranean and Atlantic climate, and is characterized by winds from east and west.
The name of Tarifa comes from the Arabic "Tarif Island", given to an island off the coast where first landed the commander Tarik during the Muslim conquest.
The area belonging to Tarifa has been inhabited since prehistoric times and has numerous rock art found in caves between Tarifa and Medina Sidonia.
Through Tarifa have passed furthermore civilizations like the Romans, being the place an important producer of "Garum", sauce made with fish guts and very popular among the Roman upper class.
At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Tarifa was a simple fishing village; in the eighth century Tarifa was conquered by the Muslims with the help of the local population, a population which throughout Andalusia wanted to expel the Visigoths from their land.
From the tenth century Tarifa began to grow and there was build a great fortress at the end of the century. This construction would be taken by Christian armies commanded by an Arab who converted to Christianity named Guzman el Bueno.
From that time we still find the castle from where Guzman el Bueno gave up the life of his kidnapped son in battle and whose rescue was the town of Tarifa, according to the chronicles of that time offering his own dagger.
Currently Tarifa has grown from a fishing village to rely heavily on tourism growing each year, in search of good weather and its excellent beaches, location for the practice of sports such as windsurfing and kitesurfing.
Tourism in Tarifa
Among the activities you can enjoy in Tarifa, we also highlight aquatic leisure activities where you can make shipboard routes or visit the Natural Park of Alcornocales.
If you visit Tarifa, you cannot miss a walk through the old town, a place that has respected its past and keeps intact much of the walls around the city. Narrow streets that wind through the old town in medieval layout and plenty of places to eat or drink... it's no wonder that this place has been declared of Cultural Interest.
If you visit the village after a day at the beach, you may enter through the so-called Puerta de Jerez, one of the few that still remain, built during the thirteenth century.
Another major monument present is the Castle of Guzman, of Muslim origin and from the end of the tenth century.
How to get to Tarifa
Tarifa is well connected to Cadiz by the N-340 and the Costa del Sol vía Algeciras along the Mediterranean Motorway.
If you want to get to Tarifa from Malaga, take the direction to Algeciras and from there follow the directions to Tarifa along the coastal road.
In the map below is shown the route you should take to get to Tarifa.