Tiny ‘Bali of Europe’ town right by Africa has beautiful beaches and £20 flights from the UK
A BEACH town in the south of Spain has been compared to Bali thanks to its beautiful beaches and laid-back vibes.
Tarifa is the most southerly town in mainland Europe, being less than nine miles from Africa.
It is often named the kite-surfing capital of Europe thanks to its strong winds making it a popular sport there.
Travel influencer Scarlett compared the vibe to being “Santa Cruz in California“.
However, it is also often called the Bali of Europe thanks to its huge sandy beaches.
Another influencer, Travel with Rafa, sad: “It feels like a tropical paradise in the middle of the Mediterranean. It feels like the Bali of Europe!”
Playa de Bologna beach is one of the popular beaches where you can also go hiking as well.
Otherwise there is also Playa de Los Lances which is where you will spot most of the kitesurfers and windsurfers.
Or the Bali-like beach is Playa de Valdevaqueros, which is home to the surfer-style Tumbao Beach Bar.
Tourists also head to Waikiki beach bar, with Bali-like thatched umbrellas, or Aloha Bar for €3 cocktails.
Near this is also the Baelo Claudia, a 2,000 year old Roman town now ruins.
If you want to explore the Old Town, it is home to beautiful tapas bars, nightclubs and local shops.
This is where the nightlife is as well, with many of the streets filled with both tourists and locals.
But while it is very Spanish in its atmosphere, it is also easy to see Moroccan influences as well with Moorish architecture.
Puera de Jerez is the ancient entrance of the walled town, and where you can also visit the 800-year-old Castle of Tarifa.
On a long walkway is also Isla de Tarifa which has some of the best views of the town as well.
While there are a number of hotels and B&Bs to choose from there are also a number of campsites and caravan sites.
For example, there is Via Villagio Tarifa, which has glamping pods right on the beach or Dunas Tarifa with palm tree cabanas and safari lodges.
Tarifa is also easy to get to, being around an hour from Gibraltar by car.
Or, if in Morocco, it is around one hour by ferry from Tangier which you can fly to from the UK for £20 with Ryanair.
Here is why you should visit the city of Tangier as well, which named a top holiday spot by Vogue last year.
Not only are new luxury hotels popping up, but it has even been used to film Jason Bourne, Mission Impossible and James Bond.
What is a holiday in Tarifa like?
Here’s what one writer thought after visiting.
Old town Tarifa after 11pm turns in to what, in Britain, we might class as a street party.
There is a courtyard with bars all around it and seating in the middle which is so lively it almost has festival vibes.
Poniente’s lazy start to the day looks even better when you learn that the clubs don’t even open until 2am so you’ll be needing that lie-in.
So if you go to Tarifa and find kitesurfing really isn’t for you then you won’t be short of things to do.
They say if you can kite in Tarifa, you can kite anywhere.
In the mean time, here is another Spanish island off the coast of Africa.
And a £5.1billion underwater tunnel could connect Spain and Morocco.