Tarifa is known for being a hotspot for digital nomads and expats – I even heard the word „Hippie“ every now and then. The city was on my list for quite a long time before I finally came here to check it out myself. Now I have been here for 3 weeks, so it’s time for a summary.

Tarifa for Digital Nomads

Know as the European hotspot for nomads, the southern most city on the European mainland didn’t let me down: in Tarifa there are many nomads that I met on the Nomad Cruise or on other nomad events during this time of the year – between September und November.

To be honest I was a bit disappointed about the WIFI connection here, which is pretty slow and unstable although so many web workers come here day by day to combine work and passion. Even at my home, I had to restart the router quite often. Still I heard that technically there is fast WIFI here. I asked why it’s so slow then and the answer to that was: „Because the locals don’t care about WIFI“.

Even at the Coworking-Hostel La Cocotera, a really cool place to stay or work in general, seems to have a connection that is not reliable. The owners do care though, because they have a portable modem in the drawer that can be used in emergency cases. If you are working there and the WIFI is not working well, you can go to the desk and get it. One day there if you are not a guest in the hostel is 15 Euro. The stunning view over Tarifa from the roof top terrace is included.

Tarifa for Fans of Watersports

The wind  is blowing through my hair and the sky is full of colorful kites. Blue ones, red ones, yellow ones, green ones… No color is missing!

In Tarifa the Mediterranean ends and the Atlantic begins. You can actually stand on the point, where the sea and the ocean shake hands. This location is bringing perfect conditions for watersports based on wind. People come here to do windsurfing or kitesurfing from all over Europe.

Johannes Völkner writes in his WebWorkTravel Guide for OnlineWorkers:

„Tarifa is widely accepted to be Europe´s best kite surfing spot offering an unbeatable mix of good winds and perfect beaches, all backed up by a full complement of training schools and cutting edge kit. Head south from Tarifa for a number of alternative beach spots, each offering equally favourable conditions.“

Kiting is widely known as the latest trend sport for digital nomads. I never tried it myself, but there seem to be different reasons why it is perfect for nomads:

• You need to focus a lot, so you can really disconnect from your work which is sometimes difficult
• Just like the saying „Mens sana in corpore sano“ (a sound mind in a sound body) is kiting a training for the entire body which is making it perfect for the digital nomad lifestyle
• Thanks to the location independent lifestyle you can work from the best kiting spots in the world and combine work and passion

For many digital nomads like for example Miri from the kiting-blog Wake Up Stoked this means living life to the fullest.

Tarifa for Natur Lovers

In and around Tarifa there are several trails for hiking. I only went hiking once. The trail that I had chosen was only 800 meters long and lead me through beautiful meadows and rocky areas.

The trail is located between the two beaches Valdevaqueros and Los Lances, which means that you have an amazing view from the viewpoint in the end.

On your way you will possibly meet cows, bulls and horses. I can tell you that it feels a bit strange in the beginning when you find yourself face-to-face with a bull.

But luckily after watching me for a second he continued eating and everything was fine.

In the end I was sitting at the top of the hill enjoying the sunset and the last rays of sunlight! Couldn’t believe how close it was and how fast to reach!

General Information

When the wind is not blowing and you don’t go to the beach to kite and you don’t want to leave the city for a hike, I recommend you to go for a litte stroll to Old Town.

The narrow alleys and the old houses create a very special atmosphere that is typical for the mediterranean area.

So just enjoy a cooling soda in one of the over 100 cafés or restaurants.

If you want to see sunset from a beach bar, go to Waikiki: great location, friendly staff and prices are good for a beach bar.

From there it’s like 5 minutes to the Island of Tarifa. There is a street (cars are not allowed – at least when I was there they weren’t) leading you to the island. Unfortunately the gate was closed when I arrived to the other side.

My Conslusion?

Tarifa is a must for digital nomads. It’s like Chiang Mai in Thailand or Medellín in Colombia. That’s why I am happy that I came here to see the city myself and to stay here for a little while.

Personally I prefer sitting close to sea being able to watch every now and then. Here in Tarifa this is almost impossible because of the strong winds. This is why I spent most of my time inside. Which is a pitty…That’s why I think that in the end I will not come back ago soon. But there are so many other cities that are more and more getting attention from other digital nomads. So I guess I will check them out before coming back to Tarifa.

Have you ever been to Tarifa? Tell me about your opinion in the comments!