A lot of my summer weekends are spent in Tarifa. Why? Because I'm fortunate enough to live (even though in a whole other country), just a 40 minute drive away. Most important reason why, because its one of the most amazing, unique places you could travel to.
Tarifa is on the western coast of Spain, know as 'Costa de la Luz.' This beautiful stretch of white sand coastline that leads up to the city of Cadiz, is most popular amongst kite surfers. Known as the Kite Surfing capital of the world, Tarifa is filled with hundreds of surfers from all over the world, that have come to experience it's vibes, winds, and mediterranean good food.
Friday Evening - Setting up tent
Pitching my tent up in my favourite campsite "Rio Jara", I have 2 tents to choose from: A quick pop up, or a more luxurious larger tent that requires more effort to put up. Because I'm staying 2 nights, I decided to make more of an effort and "glamp". I tied my hammock up too for the ultimate glamping experience. I bought both my tents, this hammock, and actually this bikini too (€6) from Decathlon, on my drive over to Tarifa. Decathalon is a huge sports/outdoor activity store about 20 minutes away (just off the highway) from Tarifa, in Los Barrios. Everything is decently priced, and it's the go to place for camping essentials.
Rio Jara
Rio Jara is my go to campsite. It's the cleanest I've been to, the first campsite from the Town Centre, and located right by the beach. There is actually an entrance to the beach from the campsite; I love pitching my tent right beside, so I can get up in the mornings, and step out into the beach. The town is also just a 40 minute walk along the beach from this campsite, so I love taking a long walk during sunset to go to town for dinner.
http://www.campingriojara.com
This next image is taken at the entrance to the beach from the campsite. Kite surfers practicing their tricks in a large puddle!
Dinner - Pachamama
Dinner in spain is late! Restaurants will be empty before 9pm, with only tourists sitting wondering where all the locals are. Tonight I decided to eat at Pachamama. This fabulous restaurant is literally opposite the road from the campsite. A 5 minute walk from my tent, and I'm ready to indulge in cocktails and their famous wood oven pizzas.
Pachamama has a great reputation in Tarifa, and their food is delicious. Live music is played in their outside courtyard on the weekends, and those that want to have lunch there can enjoy use of their pool too. There is an indoor and outdoor bar.
Trip Advisor link: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g315918-d3596032-Reviews-Pachamama_Bar_Restaurant-Tarifa_Costa_de_la_Luz_Andalucia.html
Saturday - Beach day!
I started my day with breakfast, again right opposite the campsite, beside Pachamama. This cafe/surf shop/surf school make homemade pastries, traditional Pan de campo (spanish toast) with blended tomatoes and olive oil, and fresh fruit salads with yogurt and granola. It's my favourite place for breakfast and has an outside area with beanbags so you can enjoy your breakfast in the sun. Link: https://www.facebook.com/OZUBARTARIFA/
Image taken from TripAdvisor
Dogs
The beaches in Tarifa are incredible. Soft white sand and turquoise waters. They are also dog friendly! Infact, Tarifa is a very dog friendly town. Most restaurants allow dogs, and dogs can roam free along the beaches, town, and shops. Infact, you'll realise that most shop and cafe owners have their own dogs sniffing around
Walking along the beach after breakfast, I came across a few friendly faces.
Lunch - Tangana
My favourite place to have lunch is at Chiringuito Tangana. About a 5 minute drive from the campsite, you will arrive at the beach - Playa Valdevaquero. There there are 2 very popular beach bars. I love going to Tangana for lunch, and then to Tumbao (2 minute walk on the beach from La Tangana) for a smoothie or cocktails after.
The food at Chiringuito Tangana is a must try! They are famous for their salads and their burgers. I love the buffet salad bar, which do unique salads such as Watermelon and feta. Their fruit buffet salad bar is also a must! They do all sorts of fruits, granola, cinnamon cous cous, all topped with condensed milk!
From their menu I recommend their prawn salad, and their chicken sesame seed salad! Their burgers are also very popular, and come with hand cut chips, and salad.
Links:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g315918-d7231206-Reviews-Chiringuito_Tangana-Tarifa_Costa_de_la_Luz_Andalucia.html
http://www.tarifaweb.com/tangana/esp/
Image taken at Tangana beach bar
Sand Dunes
After lunch, and a surf lesson, I decided to take a walk to the famous sand dunes, before chilling out at Tumbao for a cocktail.
One thing I love about Tarifa is that you can see the Africa's Atlas Mountains in the distance. There are days where they are so clear you can see the villages in Morocco.
Tumbao
Tumbao is the go to place for surfers to relax after a long day. With a dj, and live bands playing on weekends, and cocktails served out in the sun, this place is perfect to grab a bean bag and relax on the grass. There is also a cafe serving food and desserts, a surf shop, a clothing boutique, and a smoothie hut serving all kinds of smoothies, from healthy vegan ones, to indulgent chocolate and peanut butter ones.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/tumbaotarifa/
Old Town & Nightlife
Ran into a rasta dog on my way to town!
The heart of Tarifa's nightlife is in the old town. Its small spanish alleyways are packed with people enjoying good food, drinks, and each other's company. My all time favourite place to eat, not only in town, but in all of Tarifa, is Bar El Frances. Link: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g315918-d3326156-Reviews-Bar_El_Frances-Tarifa_Costa_de_la_Luz_Andalucia.html
It's almost impossible to get a table, and they don't do reservations. People enjoy drinks at the bar waiting over an hour to get a table, so best arrive early to avoid being turned down. I highly recommend their tuna steak!
Glammed up and ready to go
Sunday
Morning walk to town
I love visiting the town on Sunday mornings, having breakfast, and visiting the little independent shops before heading back to the campsite and packing up.
Enjoying a cookie, and an orange/ banana/ mango smoothie at Cafe Azul. Link: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g315918-d751516-Reviews-Cafe_Azul-Tarifa_Costa_de_la_Luz_Andalucia.html
For more information on Tarifa, or to plan a trip, please see link: http://www.andalucia.com/tarifa/home.htm