Village
The southernmost city of continental Europe, on the Strait of Gibraltar; it took its name from the Berber chieftain Tarif ibn Malik, who landed on the Isla de las Palomas in 710, a year before the Muslim conquest of the peninsula. Sancho IV of Castile conquered it on 21 September 1292.
Historical milestone
In 1294, with the castle of Tarifa besieged by the Marinids, who threatened to slit the throat of his captive son unless he surrendered the fortress, Alonso Pérez de Guzmán refused and threw down his own dagger, an episode that earned him the nickname 'Guzmán el Bueno' (Guzmán the Good).
Monument
Medieval fortress with an albarrana tower (a defensive tower detached from the wall and linked to it by a bridge) that gives its name to the 1294 episode, declared Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection).
Monument
Roman city dedicated to tuna fishing and salting, at its height between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD, located on Bolonia beach. It was declared Monumento Nacional (Spain's heritage designation in force until 1931) by Royal Order of 19 January 1925, following the excavations of 1917-1921.
Nature
Protected area of 7,337 hectares of land and coastline between Tarifa and Algeciras, with dune beaches such as Punta Paloma and Bolonia; the strong levante and poniente winds have made Tarifa the European capital of kitesurfing and windsurfing.
Curiosity
In 1992 Spain's first experimental wind farm was installed in Tarifa, harnessing the intense winds of the Strait.
Monument
The old town of Tarifa preserves its medieval walled precinct, unlike other Andalusian cities where the walls were torn down; inside, a narrow, winding street layout unfolds, with no regular urban plan.
Historical milestone
After Tarif Abu Zara's reconnaissance landing in the year 710, the city of Tarifa was founded in 711 under the Arabic name Al-Yazirat Tarif; in the year 960 the fortress commissioned by Abd al-Rahman III was completed.
Historical milestone
Sancho IV of Castile conquered Tarifa on 21 September 1292, incorporating it into the Crown of Castile shortly before the famous 1294 siege in which Guzmán el Bueno defended the stronghold.
Historical milestone
On 30 October 1340 the Battle of Río Salado took place near Tarifa, in which Castilian and Portuguese troops defeated the Marinid and Nasrid armies, halting the last great North African attempt to invade the peninsula.
Historical milestone
Between 1811 and 1812 Tarifa withstood the siege of Napoleonic troops thanks to the defense organized by Francisco Copons, who was granted the title of Count of Tarifa for it.
Curiosity
During the First Republic, Tarifa proclaimed its own independent canton between 21 July and 6 August 1873, as part of the cantonalist wave that shook southern Spain that summer.
Nature
The coastline of Tarifa brings together long stretches of beach such as Valdevaqueros, Los Lances, El Cañuelo, Atlanterra and Bolonia, shaped by the easterly wind that has made the area an international windsurfing and kitesurfing destination.
Nature
Joined to Tarifa by an isthmus, the Isla de las Palomas marks the southernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula and the dividing line between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
Curiosity
Tarifa is the only place in Europe where the E4 and GR7 long-distance trails meet, two of the main trans-European hiking routes.
Food and drink
In the waters off Tarifa, the almadraba has been practiced since Roman times, a technique of maze-like nets used to catch bluefin tuna during their migration through the Strait; in 1294 Sancho IV granted Guzmán el Bueno the exclusive privilege of the almadraba from the Guadiana to the coast of Granada.
Curiosity
Tarifa has San Sebastián and San Hiscio as its patrons, and the Virgen de la Luz as its patroness.
Monument
Isla de las Palomas, the southernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula, joined to Tarifa by an isthmus, where the Tarifa lighthouse and the old Fuerte de la Isla de las Palomas are located.
Monument
Defensive structure in Tarifa that served as the operations centre for the Escopeteros de Getares, a historic coastal watch corps.
Nature
Natural monument near Punta Camarinal, in Tarifa: a sand dune about 30 metres high advancing over the surrounding pine forest.
Nature
Small cove in Tarifa located on the isthmus of the island of Tarifa, facing the city's old town.
Historical milestone
In the year 710, the Berber chieftain Tarif Abu Zara landed at Isla de las Palomas, an event considered the founding episode behind the name of Tarifa and the prelude to the Muslim conquest of the peninsula.
Historical milestone
On 20 December 1811 the siege of Tarifa by Napoleonic forces began, defended by the town's Spanish-British garrison during the Peninsular War.
Curiosity
Three European long-distance trails (GR) converge in Tarifa, making it a reference point for long-distance hiking in the Strait area.