HIT THE SAND!

Playa De Los Lances

Playa de los Lances spans more than seven kilometres and is separated by the Rio Jara, making it an expansive beach that never feels too crowded.

While also close to the old town, the beach was a lot emptier and less overwhelming with a nice change of pace and seagulls in the sky.

It’s more windy, but was not too exposed and during the middle of the day, the wind is actually advantageous as the breeze offers reprieve from the heat.

The water at this end is not as busy with kite surfers, making it perfect for those just looking to go for a swim.

Father up on the northern part is characteristic of Tarifa’s

Life’s a beach, for Regina Roberts, on a trip to check out Tarifa’s famous sandy shores drew me in with a kaleidoscope of colour. The dresses and scarves on display are just a precursor, though, to the textiles, ceramics and jewellery which crowded its corners. It is a treasure trove of inspiration from across the Straits.

We also popped into TalZen, a bohemian style boutique and an impressive one-wom- an show. Though eclectic, everything from t-shirts to talismans is thought out. I found too many souvenirs and bought them all.

Hunger pangs

A near-synonym for ‘shopping’ is ‘hungry’ and, looking for comfort food, I found Chilimosa Vegetariana.

In a tiny kitchen across from my table, two chefs whipped up wonders borrowed from Greek, Afghan, Indian, Japanese, French and Italian cuisines. Our server, Jack, a British man who we later discovered is the restaurant owner, recommended the Indian mixed platter (left). It is a feast for one with tangy korma, onion bhajis fritters, fresh chutney, green salad with beets, basmati rice and a conical spiral of crispy poppadom. Each element was spot-on.

My friend’s large portion of vegetable lasagne, made with soya granules, was just as comforting as its beef counterpart.

The food’s unpretentious presentation underpinned the restaurant’s mission: to bring a home-made flavour to international cuisine, with ingredients from local, sustainable sources.

Buzzing at night

We ended our night at Taco Way, a tourist-heavy bar with a rainbow of synthetic leis dangling from the rafters and garish (though strong) cocktails.

We fit right in until we decided we did not want to.

All around the once quiet old town it was completely buzzing, the bars alive, while queues built up outside clubs in the wee hours.

Smaller bars in plazas, such as Bar El Otro Melli, become well-positioned for people watching, as people zig and zag through the excited 1am maze.

A Sunday morning stroll

I woke up early to plan a route into the Parque Natural del Estrecho, which is a welcome adventure.

A mere 400 metres from the Old Town, the closest point of entry is the Colada de la Costa trailhead.

While the north east section of the park is the road more travelled to see the Baelo Claudia ruins, in Bolonia, the southeast end offers accessibility, solitude and breathtaking views for hikers or runners.

The path takes advantage of an ancient drovers path still used to herd livestock from Tarifa to Algrecias. Indeed, my hike was halted as I was forced to circumnavigate cattle under a bridge right in my path. Having just finished the chapter detailing bullfighting in The Sun Also Rises — Hemingway’s words are haunting: “As long as a bull-fighter stays in his own terrain he is comparatively safe. Each time he enters into the terrain of the bull he is in great danger.”

A pair of hikers caught up with me while I was hesitating (and taking photos) and they deftly walked right through, ‘¡Son amistosos!’ The woman shouted back at me.

I eventually crested a hill which gave way to a view of every shade of the sea, segmented by blades of eroded rock called ‘flysches’, and a herd of cattle grazing in the sun. I edged as close to the herd as I dared, then turned back. The bullfrienders were making their way up the hill. While I was not expecting to run alongside bulls, take my hiker friend’s word for it — the cattle were unperturbed and friendly, even.

Pre lunch sightseeing

A Sunday morning is optimal for a walk around Old Town — Tarifeño history comes into focus when the bustle is at bay. Aimless is the best way to do it. In an hour’s stroll, you will happen upon beautiful tiled plazas, church façades draped in blooming Bougainvillaea and street art of the evil eye. We ventured south and glimpsed Morocco from the steps of the Torre del Miramar, the Castilian tower constructed in the mid fifteenth century. If your stroll takes you back north, stop for a drink at Bossa, the bar which shares a wall with the emblematic

An Aperol spritz (made with Spanish Cava instead of Prosecco, of course) is refreshing enough to get pulled to Playa de Los Lances with the low tide.

Roll out the towel

The beach was no exception to the Sunday vibe in Tarifa — delightfully deserted. Though this spot on the Atlantic can get windy, we were lucky and it was just sun, not sand, in our eyes.

As the evening drew nearer, we made the ten minute walk back to the hostel.

Two hostel-mates, surfers from Argentina, invited us to share a taxi with them to Chiringuito Waves bar, better known as just ‘Waves,’ where a live DJ spun records for the setting sun.

A 15 minute drive out of town, Waves is the culmination of Tarifa’s kitesurfing spirit.

windsurfing scene, full of brightly coloured kites filling the sky and with the continual sounds of surfers making splashes in the water. The northern side of this beach is more difficult to get to although there’s a lot of parking for those driving their own cars.

Walking is hard and it may be best to get a taxi from the old town. There are just as many kitesurfing schools along the northern part as chiringuitos. This may not be the best place for those looking to simply lounge as on windy days you’re going to feel that sand in your face.

Playa Valdevaqueros

By far the windiest beach is Playa Valdevaqueros, making it popular among those wanting to participate in water sports.

A picturesque beach with large sand dunes along its four kilometres, it is backed by various restaurants offering an array of food options.

There’s a lot going on and plenty of places with music playing through speakers, with Tumbao a top pick, while on the sand, you’ll see loads of people preparing their boards for the water.

Others jump in and out of the sea or play football with friends.

Getting here if you are staying in the old town involves taking a taxi as it is even farther along the coast. However, this section of the main coast road is lined with hotels for surfers. As a result, this beach draws in visitors from around the globe, but you’ll have to take a taxi to get here most likely, as while there are the occasional buses, it’s not easy to find out when they come or leave.

Old Town entrance, Puerto de Jerez, built during the Nasrid reign in the thirteenth century. Old school and, on a Sunday, uncrowded, Bossa is great for a card game, a little reading or a mid-day chat.

Fun Fact

The dirt road entrance is lined with camper vans and wetsuits on washing lines.

Tucked under a pergola, the bar looks out onto the expansive north end of Playa Los Lances, where kites pepper the sky.

To the south, the buildings of Old Town jut out into the Atlantic, looking pink in the dusk like the extended body of one of Picasso’s Demoiselles d’Avignon.

Whether it is a fun way to unwind after a day of kitesurfing, a precursor to your night out or the closing act of a day well spent, Waves is worth the excursion.

Tarifa is sometimes credited with being the origin of the word ‘tariff’, since it was the first port in history to charge merchants for the use of its docks.

After a dip in the warm waters as the last windsurfers skated to shore, we headed for an early night, with a morning bus home at 9am.

THERE are plenty of instagrammable shots around Tarifa, but few beat Tumbao. Sitting on Playa Valdevaqueros, one of Spain’s most famous beaches, this is the place to kick back and relax and take in the world.

Grab a bean bag, order up a cocktail and forget about reading matter… you won’t need it, there is just too much to take in. This is theatre at its very best, watching the huge cast of characters gliding by, not just on the beach, but in the background buzzing around with kites over the sea.

A slice of Ibiza cool, a dash of London savvy, few places offer up such a colourful mix of models and musicians, trustafarians and poseurs, alongside some of the world’s best kitesurfers and windsurfers.

This is a place for an introduction to the unique Tarifa vibe.

It’s literally mesmerising with its picturesque backdrop - mountains behind you, the ocean and Morocco in front and the massive Punta Paloma sand dune in the distance to the right.

The white sandy beach, frequently voted among Spain’s best, is the place to find everything from trinket salesmen to a rail of bikinis, while the sea is a wonderful clear blue and perfect for a dip.

In the protected leafy compound of Tumbao, you can grab a healthy buffet lunch, or a delicious burger, and also shop in the hip clothes shop next door.

If you feel active you can rent a windsurf or book a kitesurf lesson, while the vast majority of punters simply grab a beer and sit back and relax.

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