Tarifa

This is the southernmost end of the Peninsula. Open to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, the city has vast beaches, furiously lashed by east winds.

Tarifa became an important city back in the 10th century, under the rule of Abd-al-Rahman III, when the caliph castle that we find in the historic quarter was built. The influence of the Arab period can be seen in the present appearance of the city, with narrow, winding streets. It also has other interesting monuments, such as the Gothic-Mudejar chapel of Santiago; the convent of San Francisco, and the churches of Santa María and San Mateo. The township has almost 38 kilometres worth of beaches, most of which are shallow and have very fine sands, as is the case with Lances Beach, declared a Natural Site.