1-PORT VIEWPOINT
One of the main purposes of Tarifa is its function as a port. The current port was built between 1925 and 1944** and has been expanded since. Despite its modest size, it stands out as one of the spanish ports with the highest number of passengers, thanks to the ferries connecting Tarifa with the city of Tangier. The docks, where fishing and leisure boats now dock, served as a base for german technology torpedo boats with Spanish crews during World War II and until the 1970s.
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image:
-Fishing boats with the castle in the background (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
-Torpedo boat photo (Juan Núñez Rimbaud)
2-FISHING PORT
Tarifa has traditionally been a fishing town. The main catches include the red seabream (voraz) and the red tuna, primarily caught during the season using the almadraba technique. Its fish market still holds significance, although it is not as prominent as the canning industry that existed in the 20th century. We can see the monument to the men of the sea, created in 1994 by the sculptor and painter from Tarifa, Manuel Reiné.
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image:
-Monument to the men of the sea, by Manuel Reiné.
-Tunas on mules at the beginning of the 20th century.
-Auction at the Fish Market (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
3- CASTLE OF SANTA CATALINA
This small hill, which in the middle ages was an island according to the description of al-Idrisi, owes its name to a 16th-century hermitage dedicated to Saint Catherine of Siena. It later served as a lazaret and gunpowder magazine.
During the Peninsular War, British engineers built a bastioned fortification in its place. The neo-gothic building that crowns it was completed in 1933 as a flag-station for semaphore or optical telegraph. At the base of the hill, we can see a series of bunkers built during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image:
-View of the hermitage by Anton Van den Wyngaerde in 1567
-19th-century fortification
-Bunkers
4-PLAYA CHICA BEACH
This small beach opening into the Mediterranean is a favorite among Tarifa families. Its waters are calm, protected between the port and the Island. From here, you can see the Island of Tarifa, Africa, and the statue of the port’s pier with the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, known as “El Santo” by the locals.
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image:
- Sacred Heart of Jesus and Africa.
- Aerial view of Playa Chica beach and the isthmus.
5-LOS LANCES BEACH
Here begins the Atlantic Ocean, with a beautiful sandy beach that stretches for 10 km to Valdevaqueros cove, separated by the Sierra de Enmedio. In the background, you can also see the dune of Punta Paloma. It is an area for swimming and wind sports but also for the breeding of birds and other protected species.
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image: General aerial view of the beach (Photo: Manuel Rojas).
6-ISLAND OF TARIFA
The island, bigger than the old town, was a sacred place in ancient times, preserving Phoenician tombs. Its historical and natural richness has earned it protection as a Cultural Heritage site. In Muslim times, it was called al-Qantir, serving as a quarry for the stones used to build the castle of Guzmán el Bueno and other caliphate fortifications in the Strait. In the late 16th century, a watchtower was built, later converted into a lighthouse in the early 19th century. Around the same time, the island was connected to the mainland by an artificial isthmus and began to be fortified around its perimeter. Until 2001, it served as a military barracks and later as a detention center for foreigners in irregular situations. Punta Marroquí, the southernmost point of continental Europe, is located on the island.
Being part of the Natural Park of the Strait, visits are managed in small groups, always with prior reservation through the Municipal Tourist Office, to preserve and minimize damage to the island’s flora and fauna.
Visits to the Interpretation Center of the Island of Tarifa can be arranged at:
centrodeinterpretacionisladetarifa@aytotarifa.com
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
-General aerial view, indicating the main landmarks (the one from the brochure may be suitable).
- QR codes with the island brochure in Spanish and English?
