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and kitesurfing capital. It blows
virtually every day of the year, so
surfing off the beach is
guaranteed all year too, whether
it’s using the easterly
levante
winds or the
poniente
westerlies,
which create high waves. The
winds do change, but if there’s a
lull in one spot you can always
find different conditions at some
other point along the 14km of
beaches and empty dunes
northwest of Tarifa.
The winds also carry millions
of migratory birds between
Europe and Africa in spring and
autumn. And it’s not just a transit
point for wildlife: human
cultures have made trade and
war here for millennia.
Bleached by sun and wind,
Tarifa has a moreMoorish look
thanmost Andalusian towns,
combined with a tropical
atmosphere endowed by its laid-
back bars and restaurants – Souk
on Calle Mar Tirreno is
currently the place to hang.
Tarifa’s name comes from an
Arab lord called Tarif abu Zara,
who seized it in 710 – the first
Arab conquest in Spain.
The harbour is still
dominated by a Moorish castle
built around 960, which saw
many battles both before and
after the Castilians took it in
1292. Despite all these wars,
Tarifa has never ceased to keep
close contact withMorocco (it’s
just a 35-minute ferry ride from
Tangier). It’s no accident that a
brilliantly inventive Spanish
group, which mixes flamenco
and North African rhythms,
named itself Radio Tarifa.
East of the town are the cliffs
that are the prime attractions for
WHALE OF A TIME
The Strait of Gibraltar is where Europe meets Africa. This narrow band of sea is one of the
world’s busiest and oldest trade routes – and thanks to its unique geography, it’s also home
to some awe-inspiring sea life
T A R I F A
K
atharina Heyer will
never forget her first
visit to Tarifa: “The sky
was dark, the sea was black, and
there was only a golden stripe
with no clouds. In it, I saw three
dolphins jumping in the shape of
a heart. It was so incredible.
I realised there was something
special here.”
As a result, the Swiss
fashion designer established the
Foundation for Information and
Research onMarine Mammals
(FIRMM) in Tarifa, Spain, the
southernmost point of western
Europe. BetweenMarch and
October, her organisation offers
tours to see dolphins and whales
in the Strait of Gibraltar, the
narrow band of water that runs
between Africa and Europe.
Even the Ancient Greeks
thought the Strait was special.
The entrance to the Atlantic was
guarded by the Pillars of
Hercules – rocky promontories
either side of the Strait. Beyond
lay the end of the known world
with wild storms and unknown
dangers. Like most legends, this
story is only a poetic take on the
facts. This is an extraordinary
place. The immense tectonic
plates of Europe and Africa push
against each other here, creating
a channel with a unique
ecosystem. Mountains in
Andalusia andMorocco funnel
the near-constant winds that
have made Tarifa Europe’s wind-
Die Straße von Gibraltar ist Lebensraum
für viele verschiedene Delfin-Arten
The Strait of Gibraltar hosts a
spectacular concentration of dolphins
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