LOCAL TIPS
Expert windsurfer Pete King moved to Tarifa from the UK, we asked him for his top tips.
Conditions: In the summer months there’s always a thermal wind in front of Valdevaqueros (Club Mistral) in the afternoons. Sail range would be 5.0-6.5 flat / choppy water. Winter brings Atlantic swells. Magic Seaweed – Playa los Lances and Windguru (Valdevaqueros) for an accurate long cast. Live webcams including Canos at www.spotfav.com/spot/arte-vida/cam
You can find Waves at Playa Chica in Levante winds, For westerlies known as Poniente, try Arte Vida, Bolonia and Canos de Meca. Water is colder than it appears, so bring decent neoprene.
Gear to bring: Depends on wind and swell direction. Generally a small board (75-85 litre) with sail range 3.7-5.2 is fine. Winter wind is generally lighter with 4.7-6.2 on light wind floaty wave / free ride boards in the 90-110L range. Bring 2 boards (small and large) ideally for guaranteed sailing, and sails 3.1 to 7.5 should cover all options. Good conditions for slalom year round.
Best times to visit: For strong wind port tack, hot weather and great partying try August, but is very busy. July and Sept are equally hot but less crowded.
Winter swells start around Nov through to Easter.