Date: September 25 – 28
Rideable days: 3 out of 4
Wind: 10 – 25 knots
Air temp: 25˚C
Water temp: 19˚C
What I liked about Tarifa
- The food and nightlife
- Accessible (2h drive from Malaga airport)
- A fair bit cheaper than back home
What I didn’t like about Tarifa
- Levante isn’t great (off-shore, can be gusty)
Last time I was in Tarifa was in 2016. Last time I wrote about Tarifa was in 2014. If felt like a short trip to extend the summer was a great way to rekindle my friendship with this iconic ‘wind and water sports Mecca’.
You never know what you’ll get when you go to Tarifa, but most probably you’ll get wind. It’s a very wind-safe spot, powered primarily by the strong and gusty Levante or the smooth and on-shore Poniente. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’ve done a lot more Levante sessions in and around Tarifa. So was the case also this time.
The kitesurf experience
My first session, on Thursday afternoon was gusty and not great at all to be honest. We rode in Valdevaqueros, launching from Club Mistral, or whatever it’s called nowadays. It’s the spot with the Liam Whaley Pro Center. Good vibes, and free parking when we were there. Late September it’s not busy, but I’m not sure you want to come here in July or August.
After a short break I went out again, and the wind had probably shifted a little bit less off-shore because it was much smoother this time and lasted into sunset. A similar story on Friday. First we went to Los Lances in the hope of nice flat water. Wind was a bit too light so we opted to not ride at the risk of being rescued by the expensive rescue boat. Instead we went on a poorly planned hike up the hills, guided by an online trail guide. We never found the trail and instead ended up in a field of post-mortem ash from a forest fire.
What we did find, however, was that kites were up at Club Mistral. We quickly went back to town, got our kites and quickly got ready for a session. This time, although still slightly off-shore, the wind was much nicer and perfect for my 13m Juice. I had a great time on the water for two hours and came in as the sun was setting over the famous sand dune.
The Tarifa experience
Tarifa is as much about food and drinks, dining and partying as it is about kitesurfing. Old town is beautiful and the options for breakfast, lunch and dinner are endless. The clubs were still pumping on the Friday and stayed open until 4 am. The real Tarifa experience though, is had in the countless bars earlier in the evening. Here you mingle with tourists and locals alike and it’s an overall great vibe, encouraged by dangerously potent cocktails. The spirit/mixer ratio has not changed over the years.
The package
Jay and Simon, who I went with, have both been to Tarifa close to ten times over the years. I used to come all the time when I lived in Gibraltar. Jonathan, who we met during our stay, likes it so much that he bought a condo here.
It’s the package that pulls you back to Tarifa. There are better places to kitesurf in Europe (Sardinia, Sicily, Croatia, Canaries) but here you are almost guaranteed wind for most part of the year and the Tarifa vibes, dining options and social scene are hard to beat. I think the closest comparison is Corralejo in Fuerteventura. For my fellow party people, one can think of Tarifa as the kitesurf equivalent of Ibiza: It’s the gold standard, so good that everyone wants to go there during peak season. Don’t do that. Go in shoulder season instead. Go in May or September and you’ll have a much better time guaranteed.
