4 Best Sights in Tarifa, Costa del Sol and Costa de Almeria

On the Atlantic coast, 24 km (15 miles) north of Tarifa, stand the impressive Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia, once a thriving production center of garum, a salty, pungent fish paste appreciated in Rome. The visitor center includes a museum. Concerts are regularly held at the restored amphitheater during the summer months.

Tarifa's 10th-century castle is famous for the siege of 1292, when the defender Guzmán el Bueno refused to surrender even though the attacking Moors threatened to kill his captive son. In defiance, he flung his own dagger down to them, shouting, "Here, use this"; they did indeed kill his son. The Spanish military turned the castle over to the town in the mid-1990s, and it now has a museum about Guzmán and the sacrifice of his son. There are impressive views of the African coast from the battlements and towers.

This part of the Atlantic coast consists of miles of white and mostly unspoiled beaches, and this, to the north of Tarifa and the town's main beach, is one of the longest. Backed by low-lying scrub and lagoons, the beach is also close to the odd campground, boho-chic hotel, and kitesurfing school. Its windswept sands make for perfect kitesurfing: together with Punta Paloma (just up the coast) it's where you'll see most sails surfing the waves and wind. Amenities are concentrated at the Tarifa end of the beach, where there are a few bars and cafés, usually open mid-June–mid-September, and this is naturally where the crowds congregate in the summer. Otherwise, most of the beach is deserted year-round. Swimming is safe here, except in high winds, when there's a strong undertow. Amenities: food and drink (mid-June–mid-September); lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset; walking; windsurfing.