Kitesurfing spots in Tarifa

Tarifa is a treasure chest for kitesurfers, but kind of hard to open. It is always windy in Tarifa, and you can always kite somewhere. And here the problems begin, people often complain about crowd and gusty winds in Tarifa. But that’s just because they did not have the key to the chest. Let’s open it for you by telling a little about kitesurfing spots in Tarifa!

Kitesurfing spots in Tarifa (video):

Kiteboarding Tarifa – This is the Tarifa we found – Video from Lina Björkskog on Vimeo.

Kitesurfing spots in Tarifa for different wind directions

There are two wind directions in Tarifa. Levante (from the east, warm and strong and gusty) and Poniente (from the sea, colder and more steady). They say that there are about as many Poniente-days as Levante-days, but lately I’d say that there are a lot more Levante-days. Let’s break it up:

Kitesurfing spots on Poniente-days

On days with Poniente you can kite wherever you want. The mega long beach in Tarifa works extremely well. You can also go to Valdevaqueros. Poniente is onshore, so everywhere should be safe. Just keep out of the places with most sunbathers. The Rio Jara lagoon (second spot in the video) between Tarifa and Valdevaqueros (third spot in the video) also works like a charm on Poniente-days. Just remember that you are technically not allowed to ride there.

Kiteboarding spots in Levante-wind

This is when it gets more tricky, since this wind is mega strong and offshore, and scares most beginners away. But there is spots that works for everyone also on Levante-days!

1. Valdevaqueros. The most obvious spot that “always” works. It is a few kilometers to the west from Tarifa city, and the wind is mostly sideshore here even if it is offshore in Tarifa. And there is a big beautiful sand dune downwind, and good burgers and beer at the beach. A lot of beginners ride here. This spot is the third in the video.
2. Palmones. If the Levante is too strong in Tarifa (30-50 knots), there is one spot in Algeciras that will have just the perfect wind. That is Palmones. Here is a beach with nice wave-kickers, and a lagoon with flat water (that most likely is packed with pro’s on high tide and good wind). But in the sea there is a lot of space. This spot is the fourth in the video.
3. Los Caños de Meca. If the direction of Levante is bad, so that even Valdevaqueros get offshore wind with mega gusts, you can drive to Los Caños. It is almost in Cadiz, so it takes a while to get there, but when you are here you have quite steady side-on wind. This spot is at the lighthouse where Battle of Trafalgar took place. On swell-days this spot is great for wave-riding as well!
4. Balneario. This is in Tarifa city, on the right side of the pier. On the first days of Levante, this is awesome for high jumps and full-speed riding. If there is a swell from SW, here will be great waves too. This spot is not for beginners or intermediate riders on Levante-days, since the wind is completely offshore and you will end up in the middle of the Atlantic if you screw up. This is the first spot in the video.

Hope you found this post about kitesurfing spots in Tarifa useful! Read more about Tarifa in the complete travel and kitesurfing guide.