Tarifa, to the windy city, is a Spanish municipality belonging to the province of Cádiz, in Andalusia. Is off the coast of Morocco and just over 100 kilometers from the Cadiz city, so it's a great excursion destination if you're here visiting.
Tarifa is thus the southernmost city of the peninsula, and the so-called Punta de Tarifa is the closest point to neighboring Africa, right in front of the well-known Rock of Gibraltar. It is known as Tarifa, the windy city, and today we have to know more about it and its tourist attractions.
A little about the history of Tarifa, the windy city
The history of Tarifa, the windy city, It is certainly documented, and thus it is known that There has been human presence for thousands of years. As an example, there is the valuable rock art that has survived to this day. If you are interested in this, a good place to learn more is the call Moro Cave.
Archaeological remains also speak of Punic, Phoenician, and also Roman settlements. The Roman city of Claudia Baelo, for example, was founded in the 2nd century BC, and was very active in trade and fishing to the point of being promoted to a municipality under the reign of Emperor Claudius. In addition, there were other coastal cities of less importance but that added a Roman presence.
Later, with the fall of the Roman Empire, these cities saw their decline and the arrival of barbarian peoples changed the tone of the area, although It was the Arabs who ended up sealing the imprint of this part of Andalusia. The city was called Al-Yazirat Tarif.
Born as a fishing town It did not take long for it to grow and become stronger thanks to the internal conflicts in the Arab world. from that moment. Some time later the city fell into Castilian hands, but its location meant that it was never a quiet and safe place, always at the mercy of sieges and threats. These were tumultuous times for the city and the region. Then would come the British presence in Gibraltar, the War of Independence in 1808 and the Spanish civil war.
Places to visit in Tarifa
Being a place with so much history, the truth is that Tarifa has a lot to know. From archaeological remains from the Roman era, through the Middle Ages to the present days. Its culture and gastronomy are also eloquent, so a visit cannot ignore any of this.
can we talk about castles, old churches, streets, panoramic views and natural treasures, so let's start our tour of the tourist beauties of Tarifa.
Castle of Santa Catalina
It is a fortress that It is on the Santa Catalina hill, very close to the Port of Tarifa and the urban center.. It is not a very old place because was built in 1933. Before the so-called castle there was a hermitage here dedicated to Saint Catherine of Siena, demolished by the English during the years of the War of Independence.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the idea of taking advantage of the height of the hill to build a telegraph or a maritime semaphore.Therefore, In the '30s, a Renaissance-style palace was built, which was popularly called "Castle of Santa Catalina."«. He never saw the traffic light or the telegraph because the Republican forces bombed him and he was abandoned until the '70s.
After fulfilling different services, it is abandoned again.
Medieval walls of Tarifa
Without a doubt, the medieval walls are a great tourist attraction in Tarifa. There are three walls: the Aljaranda Wall, the Almedina Wall and the Arrabal Wall.. There is also a large castle that was ordered to be built by the Umayyad caliph Abd-al-Ragman III around the end of the year 960.
The three walled enclosures were built consecutively. The first of them was that of the Almedina Wall, of which a huge gate remains today that was the one that formerly connected with the citadel. For the expert eye, it is impossible not to see how well constructed its semicircular arches are, something visible from inside the Almedina bar right there.
The second is the Aljaranda Wall, of which only the remains remain in the Prison Exhibition Hall, with the tower of the timbers, the tower of Jesús and the gap of Cádiz. And finally The most modern wall is the Muralla del Arrabal, at the same time the longest segment of the three. The Merinids built it in the thirteenth century, when they controlled the city, to include the suburb that had grown north of the medina.
The most important thing here is the door of Jerez, Today one of the most important sites in Tarifa. The door It is flanked by two crenellated towers And although today it has a direct access opening, it was not originally like that, but rather angled, but the design changed over time and the modifications that the construction underwent.
It also had two other doors, one to the east called Puerta del Retiro, which disappeared in the 19th century, and another to the south called Puerta del Mar, which has not survived to this day either. In 2015 two of the three walls were restored, the Arrabal and the Aljaranda, so you can wander around them and the coastal path.
Castle of Guzman the Good
This medieval fortress is built by the sea, at a high point. It is named after the man who was its mayor in 1294, at the time the Muslims surrounded the castle, Alonso Pérez de Guzmán. The Arabs had his son as a prisoner and threatened to kill him if he did not give up the place. Don Alonso sacrificed his son, it is said that he threw his own knife from the tower so that they would kill him, choosing instead to save the entire population.
The construction that continues to this day It is from the caliphal era and it has always had a military role: the defense of the city. Regarding its design, it has a trapezoidal plan, has an alcazar with rope and charcoal ashlars, has robust towers Of which 13 remain, it has battlements that crown it and a masonry barbican around the entire perimeter with battlements and walkway.
The octagonal albarrana tower is at the western end of the castle and is known as Guzmán el Bueno tower. Access to the fortress is from the west side, although originally it was at the other end, which was where it communicated with the medina. Today you enter through a semicircular arch that opens to the parade ground. Another, larger parade ground is inside, in the eastern part of the castle, with old buildings from the 16th and 18th centuries.
Castle passed into civilian hands in 1989 and today it is municipal property. It opens from Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm, although access closes at 3:15 pm. Monday and Tuesday the castle is closed.
Church of San Mateo
Church It was built at the beginning of the 16th century in an advanced Gothic style.or, even though its façade was not finished until the beginning of the 18th century. In fact, on the side façade the Puerta de los Perdones is still unfinished.
The then Marquis of Tarifa quarreled with the neighbors and left the church unfinished, which is why the façade was completed two centuries later in another style, neoclassical. But the truth is that the original Gothic construction is very beautiful, with beautifully decorated cross vaults, many arches, ornaments, figures and borders, in addition to the organ and the chancel vault decorated with Passion motifs.
Tarifa old town
The old town of Tarifa It is a treasure declared an Asset of Cultural Interest as a Monument Complex in 2002.to the. This very well preserved, there are many traditional-style homes, with hallways and patios, and there are also many baroque-style buildings.
A walk here includes exploring the Alameda walk, a segment that is pedestrian and that is usually the meeting place for locals. Here there are restaurants and bars and it is the place where, in addition, the carnival is celebrated. You will see here the monument of Guzmán the Good and the arch of the mualla which, if you cross it and go to the left, leaves you in the Food Market, former convent converted into a market back in 1928.
Embracing the medieval walls is the Iglesia de Santa Maria, old mosque, the Church of San Mateo which we talked about above, and the Church of Santiago, in the Aljaranda neighborhood.
The historic center of Tarifa, whose emblematic entrance is the Puerta de Jerez, It is almost completely surrounded by medieval walls and it is medieval in itself, with narrow streets and buildings of one or two stories at most.
As we also said, it is in these streets where you will see restaurants and bars operating, some very well known like the bar El Francés or Los melli, or Silos 19, For example. There are also hotels and hostels, and staying here in the heart of Tarifa has the advantage that you do not need a car to get around its tourist sites.
Las Palomas Island
This island Today it is linked to the city of Tarifa by a highway. The southern tip of the island is at the same time the southernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula and continental Europe. The island It has some archaeological ruins that speak of the Phoenicians, and it must be said that its entire geography has been influenced by man since for centuries it has served as a quarry.
The island It was fortified in the 17th century with a small battery, and the road was built in 1808. For much of the 80th century the island was in military hands, but in the late 'XNUMXs of that century it was declared Strait of Gibraltar Natural Park, which is why today the island and its waters are protected.
Typical food from Tarifa, the windy city
As it is a place with a lot of history its gastronomy is very tasty. You cannot visit Tarifa and not enjoy the best dishes of typical Tarifa food. remember that it is a city with the sea, so the Fish and seafood are the order of the day.
Tuna in butter
When starting the Month of May The almadraba season begins, a style of fishing, so that is when the sea provides the tastiest specimens, with more fat, to cook unforgettable dishes, including tuna in butter.
In spring The Mediterranean coast offers good tuna, like manna from the sea, super protein. In other times, with a refrigerator, people used to take advantage of everything, not waste anything, so they sought to preserve food well. Thus, since ancient times, salting food was the key. What was not eaten fresh was preserved for later, and that is the idea with tuna in butter.
Starting in the 16th century, Christian Andalusia began to preserve tuna in melted lard.to. Tuna, but also loin and pork rinds and other foods. At that time, tuna was something like the "pig of the sea." The fish was cut into pieces (spinet, morrillo, belly, tail, etc.), and cooked in butter to preserve it.
Today the recipe also includes white wine, garlic, pepper, oregano, thyme, bay leaf and salt,
donkey
Here is another popular fish in Tarifa, the plectorhinchus mediterraneus, better known as borriquete. It is a gray fish, similar to the color of a donkey. In Tarifa it is also called a ring, due to the orange color of the inside of its mouth. There is no more Andalusian fish than this one.
It can reach a length of 80 centimeters and weigh 10 kilos, but specimens weighing between one kilo and two kilos are normal. It lives on rocky and sandy bottoms and is a great predator of shellfish, minnows and crustaceans. Por eso Its meat is compact and with a lot of flavor. It is considered a white to semi-fatty fish and over time its popularity has grown.
The donkey fishing is done all year round so no matter when you visit Tarifa you can try it. How do you usually prepare? With potatoes, with tomatoes, fried, roteña, baked, salted, on the back.
Retinto steak
Retinto is one of the most famous meats in the province of Cádiz and it is the raw material for many local dishes. It is one of the many vaccine species that exist in Spain, but it is bred specifically in Extremadura and Cádiz. In fact, it is one of the three pure breeds of Spanish origin.
This type of cow feeds all year round in the grazing and browsing field. So, the flavor of its meat is very delicate and you can taste it very well when you order the dish called retinto steak. The steak is a piece with meat and bone delicious: it has lots of infiltrated fat, super tender and it is matured in a chamber for many days to enhance its flavor.
A retinto steak It is classically served with wrinkled potatoes., For example.
strudel
Tarifa has many delicious and famous sweet dishes. You don't have to stop just with their fish and seafood, you have to try their typical cakes and sweets, many of them with Arab roots, go to their sweet shops and pastry houses: La Trifeña and Pastelería Bernal, for example.
While the puff pastry It was invented in France and has gone around the world, and you can eat a good sweet puff pastry dish here in Tarifa. I talk about millefeuille, filled with many varieties of creams, sweets or fruits.
There are hazelnut millefeuille, pastry cream, lemon, caramel and butter or the very famous trolley car, a millefeuille with custard and chocolate fondant, huge. This dessert was born in the post-war period and they named it "tram" after the enormous tram that circulated through Cádiz at that time.
Practice kitesurfing on dream beaches
In addition to history and gastronomy, it must be said that the coastal landscapes of Tarifa They are also part of its great tourist attraction. The beaches of Tarifa They are great for sunbathing, walking and why not kitesurfing.
Among the best beaches we can name Los Lances, the Bolonia Beaches, the Atlantic beaches or those of Valdevaqueros. Kilometers and kilometers of golden sands and the best waters to enjoy. Are 40 kilometers of coastline, which is no small thing, looking at Africa.
The Lances
On the other side of the isthmus of the island of Tarifa we find Los Lances beach, a natural site with more than 10 kilometers of golden sand beaches, from Tarifa to the city of Valdevaqueros.
In summer season, Starting June 15, Los Lances beach now has tourist services such as beach bars, cleaning, toilets, access for people with reduced mobility, security and kiosk. You can also camp and practice sports like kitesurfing.
valdevaqueros
In fact, Valdevaqueros beach It is the best known for kitesurfing in Tarifa, although you can also practice windsurfing. This beach has an extension of four kilometers and there is also a beach bar and camping area, although animals are not accepted.
The best place in Valdevaqueros is the Punta Paloma dune.
pigeon point
It is a cape that is in the Valdevaqueros cove whose beach extends at the foot of a huge dune that the easterly winds help to form. The beach has fine golden sand and has a moderate waves.
The constructions that have appeared over time are rather rustic and do not damage the natural landscape so much. The winds that blow here are ideal for practicing water sports that require them, such as windsurfing and kitesurfing, so specialists in both sports know this area of Tarifa very well.
Bolonia
Bolonia is another of the beaches in Tarifa that should be highlighted. It is a great beach and very famous for the dune that is a natural monument. They are in total seven kilometers of golden sands, y At the foot of the dune are the Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia, that Roman city from the 2nd century BC
The area It has natural pools flooded by the profusely blue sea so the postcard is wonderful.
So far the best of Tarifa, the windy city.