Hello
would like to to share my experience regarding tarifa.

Arrived on the 06/05/19 and will be leaving on the 03/06/19 so I'm here for 4 weeks
first 3 days was poniente breeze (onshore ) 16knots -+and I really needed a 12m brought a 10.5m and an 8m.

Next week or so crazy levante (offshore.)Gusts from 0 knots to 50 knots pretty much unkitable -either you kite is falling from sky or your getting skull dragged along .Tried 10m no chance tried 8m kiteable but really just hanging on .

Couple more days (3 in a row) poniente and able to ride my 8m which was good .

Next week no wind less than 10knots

Current week, levante so strong got blown off my bicycle .Not a soul kiting in tarifa .
I assumed levante in tarifa was kitable -its not really unless you a pro and they use it to do crazy airs for camera and then leave .

So poniente 50 percent of time ,levante 50 percent of time is what they say but be careful assuming you can kite both as this is not really the case.

Im 90kg and have been kiting for 6 years I'm by no means a expert at kiting but can kite well enough I'm interested to hear others opinion of their experience in tarifa supposedly one of the best kiting destinations in Europe ?.On the internet nobody really discusses that one of the wind directions is pretty much unkitable.
I travelled from Perth Australia.

WA all the way, great winds, pristine deserted coastline, it's a wind water paradise, but for how long, we're on the radar for travelling kiters/ windsurfers,

Yeah it was offshore when I kited there. blowing real hard at the start.. mega busy.
Rescue boats everywhere.

Then the wind totally died..

Beers at that beach bar were good and the old town was sweet.

I guess, you got to try it once..

Should have packed a wind wing

How does it compare to Tenerife?


I stayed nearby at Cadiz last summer for a few days and there was zero wind (not that I had any intention kiting)

I used to go in tarifa all my holidays when I was student (cheapest option from Paris since you can go by car)

My opinion is that Tarifa is more a windsurf spot than a kitesurf spot

Indeed poniente is nothing exceptional, and levante is extremely gusty

I never really enjoyed my kitesurf sessions there, except if you stay long enough to get used to the conditions
But the nightlife is awesome

if you are willing to do the trip from Australia, you can find better in the same perimeter: South France, Morocco, Portugal, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Greece ...

I enjoyed the old town of Tarrifa more than the kiting. Too crowded by a long shot. I would much rather plan an WA trip any day. However, can't beat the culture of Spain. I just left yesterday after a month and now in Italy for a month. Naples has damn good pizza.

We stay at Piles Spain.
Mid May to end of June.
Consistent moderate to fresh wind
2-8:30pm dark at 10pm
kite nearly every arvo.
Dont expect waves above a mtr.
Top Foiling spot.

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AlbanWave said..
I used to go in tarifa all my holidays when I was student (cheapest option from Paris since you can go by car)

My opinion is that Tarifa is more a windsurf spot than a kitesurf spot

Indeed poniente is nothing exceptional, and levante is extremely gusty

I never really enjoyed my kitesurf sessions there, except if you stay long enough to get used to the conditions
But the nightlife is awesome

if you are willing to do the trip from Australia, you can find better in the same perimeter: South France, Morocco, Portugal, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Greece ...

hey AlbanWave, interested in any info re: South France. Is it the Med side, or the Bay of Biscay side that you would recommend? I'm into surf kiting, but I know there is wind swell you can kite in on the Med side (around Perpignan?)
cheers

If Tarifa has crazy Levante most people drive half an hour to the East to Getares or Palmones which has a lot less wind then or an hour north to Canos de Meca with the chance to get some waves. I usually go there in Autumn, Levante has not the crazy strength then, but it is still kinda gusty. I prefer Poniente, not that strong and some waves. I love the place (off season), warm, nice atmosphere, great food, great vibes. Best place for kiting? No, my home beach at the North Sea in Germany has better, more constant wind when it's windy, smoother water for TT riding. There are better waves when I drive to Denmark than in Tarifa. Still it is a fun place I like to go now and then.

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Phoney said..
How does it compare to Tenerife

In Tenerife the only option is El Medano. The town visually is ugly but has a nice atmosphere. Tarifa as town, visually (old town centre), restaurants, night life is much nicer. I think Tarifa has more wind all year round but Tenerife is very consistent during the trade wind season in summer. Wind can be very strong there as well but a lot more constant. Water is choppy. Can have waves in summer (PWA Wave Windsurfing Stop), but I think that is not comparable to what you guys get in Australia

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BrendanRobb said..

hey AlbanWave, interested in any info re: South France. Is it the Med side, or the Bay of Biscay side that you would recommend? I'm into surf kiting, but I know there is wind swell you can kite in on the Med side (around Perpignan?)
cheers

I can't speak for the Bay of Biscay (only been to Biarritz for a couple of days and there was zero wind)

But the med side at Beauduc (in the Camargue) gets heaps of wind. They even have names for them depending which direction they're coming from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winds_of_Provence

In the summer the mistral winds blow onshore. They build up over 2-3 days from say 10-15kts to up to 30kts. Then die back down to 10-15 & repeats. It's flat water + small mushy waves, but big long wide open beach so plenty of room.

Hey yourself out to c?nos if it's too windy in tarfia or also Gibraltar side is also good when it's strong

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Phoney said..

BrendanRobb said..

hey AlbanWave, interested in any info re: South France. Is it the Med side, or the Bay of Biscay side that you would recommend? I'm into surf kiting, but I know there is wind swell you can kite in on the Med side (around Perpignan?)
cheers

I can't speak for the Bay of Biscay (only been to Biarritz for a couple of days and there was zero wind)

But the med side at Beauduc (in the Camargue) gets heaps of wind. They even have names for them depending which direction they're coming from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winds_of_Provence

In the summer the mistral winds blow onshore. They build up over 2-3 days from say 10-15kts to up to 30kts. Then die back down to 10-15 & repeats. It's flat water + small mushy waves, but big long wide open beach so plenty of room.

There are types of wind in south of France on the Med sea
- Mistral: generated from the Rhone's Valley (river) on the east side of the Med bay
- Tramontane: generated and channeled along the mountains (Les Pyrenees) on the west side of the Med bay

Both are very strong
Both are cold

Beauduc, Leucate are working by Tramontane
Not really into wave riding

Mistral is more around Marseille (city): Almanare, Guissan, ... And some waves spots

the Biscay bay on the Atlantic is into surf culture
you can have wind but mostly from weather depression and the sea is nasty over there

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DirkG said..

Phoney said..
How does it compare to Tenerife

In Tenerife the only option is El Medano. The town visually is ugly but has a nice atmosphere. Tarifa as town, visually (old town centre), restaurants, night life is much nicer. I think Tarifa has more wind all year round but Tenerife is very consistent during the trade wind season in summer. Wind can be very strong there as well but a lot more constant. Water is choppy. Can have waves in summer (PWA Wave Windsurfing Stop), but I think that is not comparable to what you guys get in Australia

Wave spot is pretty busy and shared with the windsurfers. Bigger and better waves on Gran Canaria but sucky launch points. At Vargas you have a real small launch point but are straight into the sea. Masapalomas has a looooooong walk up the beach past the swimming area to reach the launch spot.

Just go to dakhla instead .

I've been there twice, and it really is ideal for foils, because on the days where you didn't kite and it's around 10 kts cross offshore , or even the poniette seabreeze, you can fly around on a foil with tiny waves. As the others said, you need to time your trip so your not there in the months where 50 kts is regular, and with the climate shift sometimes you might be unlucky.