Blown Away
Wind, waves, and siestas—just a few of the reasons to discover Tarifa, Spain
STRETCHED OUT on the white sand, I watched a Spanish kiteboarding instructor run past me down the beach, yelling, "Work eet! Work eet!" into a walkie-talkie transmitting to the helmet of a tawny Swede ripping her candy–colored kite through the azure sky. Awesome conditions, I thought. I really should get out there—just as soon as I finish my nap.

Welcome to Tarifa, home of the extreme siesta—perhaps the only place in the world where you can climb, bike, and kiteboard all in one day yet still have a hard time finding an open tapas restaurant during the collective afternoon snooze. Strategically located between the Andalusian mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, and a mere eight miles north of Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar, this little nub of southern Spain was named after Berber raider Tarif ibn Malluk, who blew through here in a.d. 710. The town has been considered prime real estate ever since, tempting everyone from the Phoenicians to the Arabs to stake a claim. But the tiny eighth-century Moorish fortress—with its population of 15,000, maze of steep cobblestone streets, and shady courtyards—has remained relatively undisturbed, thanks in part to the ruthless consistency of a blustery 20-mile-per-hour wind. But this breeze, topped off with the town's Africanized tranquilo vibe, makes windsurfing and kiteboarding enthusiasts ecstatic—so much so that they've started up a small juggernaut of rental shops and boutique hotels. Here's how to make the most of Tarifa and its mighty wind.

Kiteboarding
Tarifa sits on the exact point where Europe splits the Mediterranean from the Atlantic and where the offshore levanter and onshore poinente winds collide. The happy result? More than 300 days (January through March tends to be rainy) of kiteable breeze. Get a lesson, a massage, and a seaside bedroom or a suite with an adjacent garden at the Moroccan-influenced Hurricane Hotel ( 011-34-956-684919, www.hurricanehotel.com), halfway along a series of linked white-sand beaches that start right in town and stretch seven miles north. If you're already kite-proficient, launch from the table-flat Playa de Los Lances. You'll have a clear shot all the way across the strait to Tangier. Pro rider Mark Shinn was one of the first to legally make the transcontinental crossing (landing in Morocco requires a permit), in 2001.

 

Climbing
Legend has it that the gap between Europe and Africa was pushed open by Hercules—which might explain the multipitch limestone crag at San Bartolo. Check in with Girasol Outdoor Company (011-34-615-456506, www.girasol-adventure.com) for intel on the latest of the 250 sport routes, rated 5.6 to 5.14; time your visit to coincide with one of their monthly full-moon climbing trips. From the top of the 262-foot Placas Grandes route, you can spot Morocco's 8,000-foot Rif range, and the ruined remains of the Roman village of Baelo Claudia are just one bay away.

Biking
Stefan Brinkmann, from Tarifa Bike (011-34-956-681373, www.tarifabike.com), has an encyclopedic knowledge of the mountains of Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, just north of town. He also has a permit that grants access to miles of backcountry singletrack, which weaves through classic Mediterranean cork-oak forests. Try the grueling 3.4-mile ascent of 3,609-foot Pico del Aljibe. Your reward will be a view clear to Morocco. Roadies can climb through the orange and olive groves to the ridgelines of Los Alcornocales Natural Park, then snack on tapas—gazpacho, goat cheese, olives, paella, and fried calamari—while riding from one ancient whitewashed village to the next. Cortijo El Aguilón ( 011-34-637-424-251, www.elaguilon.com), a cozy country inn tucked between the rolling hills just outside Tarifa, is a five-minute spin from the best of the backcountry singletrack. At day's end, its Turkish bath and spa will rejuvenate your weary quads.

Nightlife
If you need an energy infusion—locals are so laid back they often don't show up to kite until late afternoon—buy a ticket for the high-speed FRS ferry (one way, www.frs.es) from one of the travel agents on Tarifa's main drag, then take the 35-minute ride across the Strait of Gibraltar to Tangier, Morocco. But don't stop there. Book a first-class berth on the ONCF (www.oncf.ma), a train that will take you 11 hours south to the raucous markets of Marrakesh.