Tarifa
Encyclopedia
Tarifa is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia
, on the southernmost coast of Spain
. The town is located on the Costa de la Luz
("coast
of light
") and across the Straits of Gibraltar facing Morocco
. The municipality includes Punta de Tarifa
, the southernmost point in continental Europe
. There are five smaller villages which depend economically on Tarifa. They are Tahivilla, Facinas, Bolonia and Zahara de los Atunes
.
's Mellaria town probably is also Tarifa. The city was also known as the place where citizens of Zelis (near Tingis) resettled. The village of Bolonia near Tarifa was also populated in Roman times (called Baelo Claudia). Roman ruins still exist near the village today.
After the Islamic conquest of southern Spain, the city was fortified starting from the 10th century. Later Tarifa was held by the taifa of Algeciras
(1031) and by that of Seville
(1057), and subsequently by the Almoravids
. After the latter's fall, it lived a short period under another taifa of Algeciras (1231), until becoming part of the Kingdom of Granada. In 1292 it was conquered by Sancho IV of Castile
, and two years later it resisted a siege by North African Islamic troops. The town resisted another siege in 1340 from Moroccan troops
, eventually leading to the Battle of Río Salado
.
In 1514 it become the seat of marquisate including also Bornos
, Espera
and Alcalá de los Gazules
. In the course of the Peninsular War
, Tarifa was besieged by French troops on 20 December 1810, and again on 18 October 1811.
warrior, Tarif ibn Malik.
Tarifa has become a popular spot for northern-Europeans to spend their summers. The coast of Tarifa is also popular with windsurfers
and kitesurfers
due to the strong winds of the straits. For this reason Tarifa is also dotted with hundreds of wind turbines.
Tarifa is a renowned place to watch migrating birds
, in particular the stork
s which cross the Straits of Gibraltar in spring and autumn.
Also whale and dolphin watching can be done on the 14 kilometer wide Straits.
, whose first edition took place in 2004.
and bus
services between Tarifa and Algeciras
, about 20 km to the northeast, and Seville
about 200 km to the north.
, precipitation
in the wet period is quite high; monthly averages exceed 80mm in the two wettest months, December and January. The influence of the ocean has the additional effect of creating a very small annual variation in temperature. Winters are much warmer than those of continental Spain
- a phenomenon also due to its southerly location - and summers are less hot than those of other areas of southern Spain - the average daily high in the hottest month, August, is only 24°C, significantly cooler than the temperatures experienced further inland in the Guadalquivir
valley, and also a little cooler than those felt further East along the Mediterranean coast in places such as Málaga
and Almería
.
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, on the southernmost coast of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The town is located on the Costa de la Luz
Costa de la Luz
The Costa de la Luz is a section of the Andalusian coast in Spain facing the Atlantic; it extends from Tarifa in the south, along the coasts of the Province of Cádiz and the Province of Huelva, to the mouth of the Guadiana River....
("coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
of light
Light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
") and across the Straits of Gibraltar facing Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. The municipality includes Punta de Tarifa
Punta de Tarifa
Punta de Tarifa is the southernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula and continental Europe. It is located in the province of Cádiz and the autonomous community of Andalusia on the Atlantic end of the Straits of Gibraltar. The coast of Morocco can be seen from this point....
, the southernmost point in continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
. There are five smaller villages which depend economically on Tarifa. They are Tahivilla, Facinas, Bolonia and Zahara de los Atunes
Zahara de los Atunes
Zahara de los Atunes is a village on the Costa de la Luz of Spain in the province of Cádiz and the autonomous region of Andalusia.It has Barbate and Tarifa very near by and has excellent beaches. In the town there are a variety of restaurants, cafes, hotels, an outdoor cinema, and a scenic church....
.
History
During the Roman period, Tarifa was known as Julia Transducta (also known as Julia Joza, or just Transducta). Tarifa name was given after the attack of Tarif bib Malik in 710, a slave of Musa bin Nusayr, Pliny the ElderPliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
's Mellaria town probably is also Tarifa. The city was also known as the place where citizens of Zelis (near Tingis) resettled. The village of Bolonia near Tarifa was also populated in Roman times (called Baelo Claudia). Roman ruins still exist near the village today.
After the Islamic conquest of southern Spain, the city was fortified starting from the 10th century. Later Tarifa was held by the taifa of Algeciras
Taifa of Algeciras
The Taifa of Algeciras was a medieval taifa kingdom in what is now southern Spain, that existed from 1035 to 1058.-History:The taifa was created in 1013, in the wake of the disintegration of the caliphate of Córdoba begun after 1009...
(1031) and by that of Seville
Taifa of Seville
The Taifa of Seville was a short lived medieval kingdom, in what is now southern Spain and Portugal. It originated in 1023 and lasted until 1091, and was under the rule of the Arab Abbadid family.-History:...
(1057), and subsequently by the Almoravids
Almoravids
The Almoravids were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 C.E...
. After the latter's fall, it lived a short period under another taifa of Algeciras (1231), until becoming part of the Kingdom of Granada. In 1292 it was conquered by Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV of Castile
Sancho IV the Brave was the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1284 to his death. He was the second son of Alfonso X and Yolanda, daughter of James I of Aragon.-Biography:...
, and two years later it resisted a siege by North African Islamic troops. The town resisted another siege in 1340 from Moroccan troops
Marinid
The Marinid dynasty or Benemerine dynasty was a Zenata Berber dynasty of Morocco. The Marinid dynasty overtook the Almohads in controlling Morocco in 1244. They controlled most of the Maghreb from the mid-14th century to the 15th century and supported the Kingdom of Granada in Al-Andalus in the...
, eventually leading to the Battle of Río Salado
Battle of Rio Salado
The Battle of Río Salado was a battle of King Afonso IV of Portugal and King Alfonso XI of Castile against sultan Abu al-Hasan 'Ali of the Marinid dynasty of Morocco and the Nasrid ruler Yusuf I of the Kingdom of Granada.-Campaign:...
.
In 1514 it become the seat of marquisate including also Bornos
Bornos
Bornos is a town and municipality located in the province of Cádiz, Spain.-Demographics:- External links :* - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía...
, Espera
Espera
Espera is a city located in the province of Cádiz, Spain. According to the 2005 census, the city has a population of 3,909 inhabitants.-Demographics:- External links :* - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía...
and Alcalá de los Gazules
Alcalá de los Gazules
Alcalá de los Gazules is a city located in the province of Cádiz, Spain. According to the 2006 census, the town has a population of 5,633 inhabitants...
. In the course of the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, Tarifa was besieged by French troops on 20 December 1810, and again on 18 October 1811.
Name
Tarifa is sometimes credited with being the origin of the word "tariff, since it was the first port in history to charge merchants for the use of its docks, but other sources point to the Arabic word ta'rïf, as the origin. The name "Tarifa" itself is derived from the name of the BerberBerber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
warrior, Tarif ibn Malik.
Main sights
Historical landmarks of the city include:- the well-preserved Guzman castleCastillo de GuzmanThe Castillo Guzmán el Bueno for "The castle of Guzman the good"), also called Tarifa Castle, is a castle in the coastal town of Tarifa in Spain. It is more than 800 years old. Recently refurbished, it is open to visitors. The coast and mountains of Morocco are visible from its towers...
, near the port, built by order of caliph Abd-ar-Rahman IIIAbd-ar-Rahman IIIAbd-ar-Rahman III was the Emir and Caliph of Córdoba of the Ummayad dynasty in al-Andalus. Called al-Nasir li-Din Allah , he ascended the throne in his early 20s, and reigned for half a century as the most powerful prince of Iberia...
(960). Annexed are the Guzmán el Bueno Tower (13th century) and the church of St. Mary, on the site of a former mosque - remains of the medieval walls. Of three gates once existing, today the Puerta de Jerez (13th century) has survived
- Church of St. Matthew, built in the early 16th century in GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style, also over a former mosque. The façade was redesigned by Torcuato Cayón de la Vega in 1774. - The ruins of the Roman city of Baelo ClaudiaBaelo ClaudiaBaelo Claudia is the name of an ancient Roman town, located outside of Tarifa, near the village of Bolonia, in southern Spain. Lying on the shores of the Straits of Gibraltar, the town was originally a fishing village and trade link when it was settled some 2,000 years ago...
, located nearby.
Tarifa has become a popular spot for northern-Europeans to spend their summers. The coast of Tarifa is also popular with windsurfers
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
and kitesurfers
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
due to the strong winds of the straits. For this reason Tarifa is also dotted with hundreds of wind turbines.
Tarifa is a renowned place to watch migrating birds
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, in particular the stork
Stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
s which cross the Straits of Gibraltar in spring and autumn.
Also whale and dolphin watching can be done on the 14 kilometer wide Straits.
Cinema
Tarifa is renowned for its African film FestivalAfrican Film Festival of Tarifa
The African Film Festival of Tarifa is an annual film festival held in Tarifa , dedicated to African cinema and to Africa-related productions .The festival is organized by the association Al-Tarab, which was born in Tarifa in 2003, and it started...
, whose first edition took place in 2004.
Transportation
There are regular ferry services between Tarifa and TangierTangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
and bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
services between Tarifa and Algeciras
Algeciras
Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
, about 20 km to the northeast, and Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
about 200 km to the north.
Climate
Tarifa features a Mediterranean climate with Oceanic influences, with warm summers and very mild winters. Rain is concentrated in winter, with the summers being largely dry. Because of its proximity to the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
in the wet period is quite high; monthly averages exceed 80mm in the two wettest months, December and January. The influence of the ocean has the additional effect of creating a very small annual variation in temperature. Winters are much warmer than those of continental Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- a phenomenon also due to its southerly location - and summers are less hot than those of other areas of southern Spain - the average daily high in the hottest month, August, is only 24°C, significantly cooler than the temperatures experienced further inland in the Guadalquivir
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
valley, and also a little cooler than those felt further East along the Mediterranean coast in places such as Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
and Almería
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
.