View of Tangier from Ferry

Our day trip to Tarifa, Spain, was so pleasant. We left Tangier and took the one-hour ferry boat ride to the southern-most tip of Spain. Tarifa is located on the "Coast of Light"; the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet. We loved being on the water and seeing the beautiful scenery on the way. The ferry was fast, with a top speed of 32-miles per hour. Unfortunately, this stretch of sea has claimed the lives of many African immigrants trying to sail across to Spain on makeshift rafts which are overloaded.

Ferry from Tangier, Morocco to Tarifa, Spain

View of Tangier from the ferry

View of Tarifa from ferry

Jesus Christus statue at the port entrance to Tarifa

The beaches are white sand with blue water shores, with stunning views of the mountains. Since our trip was during the off-season, there were very few people around and we enjoyed a quiet day. There were a few people enjoying the sun, flying kites and wind and kite surfing. The town has unique wind conditions and is known for wind sports. The area is also dotted with wind turbines which produce electricity.

Tarifa Beach with mountain view

Judy walking the beach

The old town of Tarifa is steeped in Moorish history. It is small and clean, with white houses on short streets and pretty squares. It did my heart good to see many dogs on leashes being doted on by their owners. (This is not a part of the culture in Morocco, and I miss it.)

Pretty white buildings

Iglesia de San Francisco De Asis Church

One of the main sites is the Castillo de Guzman el Bueno, or Castle of Tarifa, built in 960. The outside was plainly visible as we ferried into port. Walking up to the top allowed us a beautiful view of the harbor and mountains. We also got a real feel for the history of the city as we walked around the refurbished interior which was museum-like.