Beaches in Tarifa
From Playa Chica to Atlanterra on the Costa de la Luz
The beach management plan divides the coast of the municipality of Tarifa in Andalusia into nine stretches. Little Playa Chica is by the port, followed to the north-west by Los Lances, Valdevaqueros and Bolonia, with Los Alemanes and Atlanterra at the western end. Lifeguard towers, flags and separate zones for swimmers and water sports keep beach life organised.
On this page
Playa Chica by the port
Playa Chica is in Tarifa's port area and is only 133 m long. It is classed as an urban beach. Facilities include toilets, an accessible toilet and accessible showers, a zone for people with reduced mobility and a boardwalk. Instead of a lifeguard tower there is a raised lifeguard chair.
Playa de los Lances
Playa de los Lances begins north-west of the town. The plan divides it into three stretches, together around 6.9 km long:
- Lances Sur urban (1,765 m), the town stretch, with showers and footbaths, accessible showers, lifeguard towers 1 and 2 and a zone for surf schools.
- Lances Sur natural (933 m), a natural stretch under special protection, with tower 3.
- Lances Norte (4,210 m), a natural beach with tower 4 and six zones for kite schools.
Playa de los Lances is protected as a Paraje Natural and is part of the Parque Natural del Estrecho. It has a lagoon designated as a special protection area for birds (ZEPA), where water sports are banned. The dunes and beach vegetation are protected. At Lances Sur urban and Lances Norte, the site plan separates a bathing zone between the flags from a zone for water sports only. Where and how people kite is covered under Kitesurfing.
Valdevaqueros and Punta Paloma
Valdevaqueros is a natural beach 1,907 m long with lifeguard tower 5. As at Lances Norte, there are six zones for kite schools, plus a safety channel and a channel for rescue boats. Swimmers have their own zone between the flags, separate from water sports, and there is a line of buoys at 200 m.
Punta Paloma is not a separate stretch of beach. You reach it via the Carril de Punta Paloma, and it belongs to the Valdevaqueros stretch. The El Jardín de las Dunas campsite is on Playa Valdevaqueros, and more campsites along the N-340 are listed under Camping.
Bolonia
The bay of Bolonia forms the Bolonia-El Lentiscal stretch, a natural beach 2,412 m long. The Bolonia dune has been protected as a Monumento Natural since 2001 and, like Los Lances, is part of the Parque Natural del Estrecho. Lifeguard towers 6 to 8 stand on the beach. Here too the bathing zone is kept separate from water sports, and there is a zone for a kite school. The ruins of the Roman town of Baelo Claudia lie by the beach.
Los Alemanes and Atlanterra
Three stretches follow at the western end of the municipality's coast. Los Alemanes (1,904 m) and Atlanterra Sur (1,433 m) are classed as urban-residential, and Atlanterra Norte (1,382 m) as a natural beach.
Los Alemanes has neither a lifeguard tower nor flags, so there is no lifeguard service there. Atlanterra Sur has towers 9 and 10 and an S.O.S. module, and Atlanterra Norte has tower 11. Surf schools are planned on both stretches of Atlanterra, and the bathing zone is kept separate from the water sports zone.
Bathing season and lifeguards
The beach management plan sets out when each service runs:
- High season from 1 July to 31 August: all services, with lifeguards, cleaning and buoys.
- Mid season from 18 March to 30 June and from 1 September to 31 October: lifeguards only at weekends from 15 to 30 June and from 1 to 15 September, plus cleaning and buoys.
- Low season from 1 November to 17 March: permanent facilities, occasional events and water sports schools only.
The flags fly from poles set about 400 m apart. Red means no swimming, yellow means caution and green means safe to swim, and rows of red pennants mark currents. If no flag is flying, there is no lifeguard service. Out of season, outside the bathing zones and outside lifeguard hours, you swim at your own risk.
Where there are no buoys, the bathing strip extends 200 m out to sea. Swimming and diving are banned in the channels that kiters and windsurfers use to get in and out, as is jumping from cliffs and rocks. The emergency number is 112. Call it, giving your location, to report injured or dead birds, sea turtles, whales and dolphins on the beach too.
Beach rules
- Dogs: pets are banned on the beaches and in the sea, except guide dogs. The plan does not include a dog beach.
- Nude bathing: only allowed in designated naturist zones; the plan does not designate any.
- Fire and glass: fires on the ground, gas bottles and flammable materials, cooking and glass containers are banned, and fireworks need a permit.
- Sunshades: only sunshades that are completely open at the sides are allowed, plus chairs and tables. Leaving things to reserve a spot is not allowed, and staff may remove them.
- Vehicles: banned on the beach and the adjoining promenades.
- Fishing: from the shore in bathing zones during the bathing season only between 21:00 and 9:00, more than 100 m away from other beach users and never in the water sports channels.
- Overnight stays: tents and camping are banned on the beaches all year round.
Where you can kite on the beaches is covered under Kitesurfing, and the wind through the year under Weather. Campsites along the coast road are under Camping, hotels and holiday flats under Where to stay, and the bay with the dune under Bolonia.