Kitesurf Pro

Kitesurf Pro

On the southern tip of Spain, Tarifa has rising kudos as a sun-kissed weekend party town and is now a hot spot for windsurfers and kitesurfers – the Strait of Gibraltar channels perfect, warm winds right onto the sandy beaches here. Since 2005, it has hosted a leg of the Professional Kiteboard Riders Assocation World Tour on its Valdevaqueros beach. The world’s best kiteboarders plus accompanying rad dudes, surfer girls and adrenalin junkies descend for a week in September, alongside the boho-luxe crowd who love this part of Spain. The competition has three sections: the Freestyle, which appraises technical difficulty and innovation; the Big Air Tricks, which is about how high you can fly; and the Boardercross slalom, which is all about speed. As crowds gather on the beach to gasp at the spectacular aqua-aerobatic circus, the windriders’ daredevil energy breezes into the beach shacks and tapas bars of this white washed town, creating a fiesta atmosphere throughout the tournament.

Highlights

Try to catch recent champions Aaron Hadlow and Kevin Langeree in action if they make it to the finals – they’ll be flying up to 20 metres into the air and scudding across the waves at speeds reaching 80 kilometres an hour.

In The Know

Head Count

About 1,000 specators pack the shoreline for the big air tricks.

Meeting Point

Gather on the beach, at the 75-kilometre marker on the road to Cádiz.

Best View

You'll get a great view from anywhere along the sloping sandy beach.

Packing Tips

A windbreak and a Gore-tex jacket might come in handy if the wind picks up – and it will. If you fancy looking the part and you don’t have the obligatory beads/ board shorts/kaftan in your wardrobe, head to Calle Batalla del Salado in Tarifa, which is lined with surfwear shops and boutiques selling hip local brands such as Mala Mujer.

Escape

You can go sealife-watching on small boats that get extra close to pilot whales and dolphins (www.fi rmm.org), or try horse riding Andalucían-style through cork forests and along mountain trails (www.aventura-ecuestre.com). If you have time, wander through the sculpture park at the Nmac Foundation, where you’ll find a surreal trail of contemporary pieces by artists such as Olafur Eliasson amid a forest of rustling pine and olive trees (www.fundacionnmac.com).

Dos and don'ts

• Tan and tone up before you go, to minimise self-consciousness among all those buff teenage champs.
• Learn about the riders and lingo so you can speak knowledgeably about Aaron’s incredible ‘aerial back to blind’, instead of just oohing and aahing. (Get the lowdown at www.pkra.info – click on ‘riders’ profiles’ and ‘terminology and trick definitions’.)
• Ditch your usual beverage of choice for a fino or a tinto de verano (red wine, Martini Rosso, lemonade, lemon and ice).
• Don’t try kitesurfing yourself when the Levante is up, or you might end up in the middle of the Atlantic.
• Fancy a go? A 10-hour beginner’s course at the Club Mistral costs about €280 (see www.club-mistral.com).

Need To Know

Children

Tarifa’s broad, sandy shores go down a treat with kids, and there are lessons for any children with ambitions to join the PKRA World Tour in years to come. See www.club-mistral.com for details.

Parking

There's a free car park alongside the beach.

Disability Access

Most of Tarifa, including the old town, is navigable by wheelchair, and the car park at Valdevaqueros is right next to the beach.

Food & Drink

Hotel Valdevaqueros, which is virtually on the sand, serves Spanish favourites. Top bars in the area include the one at Explora, opposite Valdevaqueros beach (+34 956 689 132), and, in town, at the Misiana hotel (+34 956627 083). La Ruina, also in Tarifa, is a perennial favourite for drinking and dancing. Fill your belly with one of the lamb tagines or Thai curries at Souk Tarifa on Calle Mar Tirreno (+34 956 627 065); Anca Curro on Calle Morena de Mora and Los Melli on Plaza Gúzman el Bueno are great for tapas.

Sleep

Escondrijo is an exquisite boutique hotel with just five suites in lovely Vejer de la Frontera, half an hour from Tarifa. Closer to the action is shabby-chic La Sacristía. Find details and book at www.mrandmrssmith.com, or ring 0845 034 0701.

VIP

If you’re involved in the tournament, the sponsors lay on Moroccan-style tents offering Spanish tapas, fino sherry, and Spanish-Arabic music. If you’re not a competitor, an organiser or a member of the press, don’t worry: the whole town is full of tapas, fino sherry and Spanish-Arabic music.