Kiteboarding in Tarifa – Day 3
Catch up on more Kiteboarding in Tarifa – Tarifa Day 1, Tarifa Day 2, Tarifa Day 4
So…the second whisky was definitely not a good idea last night. I didn’t feel quite so fresh waking up today but Dan was excited as the wind today was much stronger. We got up and left our hotel to go to our kitesurfing lesson (which I’ve now learnt is called kiteboarding by those in the know – I’m such an amateur). It seemed like every other kiteboarder in the world had woken up this morning and decided to go Kiteboarding in Tarifa! Apparently it was the perfect conditions, sunshine, stronger winds and a few waves!
I’m not sure whether it was the slight hangover or the much stronger wind but I was really not feeling the kiteboarding this morning. The water was pretty unappealing but I put on my wetsuit, life jacket, and helmet and gave it a go. This morning I learned body dragging which is basically using the kite to gain the power to drag you through the water. It’s the last step before you put the board on and try to actually surf. I found this bit pretty easy but after an hour in the water, I was happy to let Dan have a go with the board and after a few tries he got up!
He came back all exhilarated and energised but exhausted and starving, so after our lesson was up we decided on lunch. Enough Kiteboarding in Tarifa for one day for this girl! Having had such an amazing lunch yesterday, El Mirlo was almost on the cards again for today! However, we decided to try somewhere new as we only had a few days to explore the whole town.
We drove back to town and walked along the beach to Cafe Del Mar which, having looked at the website appears to be a crazy party bar, but was a quiet chill out restaurant when we went for lunch. I’d been craving a salad and they had the most amazing goat’s cheese one on the menu. It had a huge slice of cheese with toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, raisins, and a gorgeous honey and mustard dressing.
Paired with a crisp white wine I was in heaven in the sunshine. Halfway through the bottle, I noticed something that made me giggle. My glass was twice the size of Dan’s. The waiters had obviously got the measure of me! After lunch, we walked back along the beach until we came to the spot where the expert kiteboarders practice. It looked so impressive, they were getting some serious air!
By this point, it was sundowner time so we headed to a cute, chill-out bar on the beach ‘Bien Star’ where we ordered Aperol Spritz’s and watch the sun go down.
For dinner that evening, our kiteboard instructor had recommended his favourite Tapas Bars in the Old Town. These were El Frances, Los Melli, and El Lola. Unable to pick we decided to have a couple of dishes in each and do a Tarifa Tapas Crawl. In El Frances we ordered the Roasted Aubergine topped with Goats Cheese and the Spicy Sausage Stew. Both were delicious but a bit on the greasy side if I’m being really picky.
Next up was Los Melli, where we ordered the Gambas Al Ajillo, the Pork Belly, and the Manchego Cheese. The cheese was good, crumbly, and salty, but I wasn’t a fan of either of the other two dishes. The prawns were OK but I’ve had better. In fact, Dan makes better ones than that at home, and the pork was very fatty and chewy. This was our least favourite Tapas Restaurant.
We headed to El Lola’s for our last pit stop of the evening where we ordered a bottle of Rioja (which I mostly used to hide my very red and sunburned nose – see picture) to go along with the Tuna Tartare with Wasabi and some Jamon Iberica. The ham was amazing. Nowhere seems to be able to get that wrong (and I’ve heard that the best ham legs can sell for 12,000 euros wholesale) but my skepticism at ordering a Japanese dish in a Spanish town proved right. The flavour of the tuna was completely missing, overpowered by Wasabi Mayonnaise and it wasn’t a great dish.
El Frances wins in the great Tarifa Tapas War of 2016!
We couldn’t leave Spain without a glass of sherry so a nightcap of Fino was in order before pouring ourselves into bed.
Also see… Tarifa Day 1, Tarifa Day 2, Tarifa Day 4
This looks like my kind of place- beach, wine and cheese!
Kitesurfing is always something that I’ve wanted to try but I’m not sure I would do it after a night on the whisky! That being said, it’s probably a great hangover cure. That food sounds absolutely delightful and the spicy sausage stew really does have m belly rumbling. Great post, thoroughly enjoyed
Cafe Del Mar is quite iconic. If it’s the same one as I’m thinking about there used to be CDs in its name that would come out with tecno and trance music. But it could be that it takes on a new avatar at night.
Lovely post and wonderful seeing you both enjoying a fun relaxing time by the beach. Cheers
It really looks like a lovely beach. Must have been a nice place to enjoy a glass of wine, with the sunshine and that view. Even though the food is not always perfect when traveling. Isn’t a part of traveling to try new things? Maybe Spain one day will learn how to cook Japanese food 🙂
It looks really crowded! I’ve never tried kite surfing, but I would imagine it can be tough to learn with so many people around. No?
The good guys are good enough to stay out of your way and the beginners tend to spread out quite a bit so it actually didn’t seem that crowded – but then we went in off season!!!!
I haven’t tried my hand at kite surfing or surfing for that matter, but seems like a very enjoyable sport and thrilling too. Everyone at the beach pretty much looks like they are surfing. I’d settle for wine and cheese too for a day well spent at the beach. 🙂
I’ve always wanted to try kitesurfing. I can imagine it’s pretty hard, especially after a night of drinking! It sounds like the hangover food was amazing though!
I am yet to taste sherry though I must admit off late I have developed a fondness for red and white wine. Bien Star looks like a really good place to just sit and have a nice time.
Oh, it’s the first time for me to hear about kite surfing. I have read about surfing lately and I just can’t imagine how difficult it is. Much more if you are working with a kite! Anyhow, I bet you guys had enjoyed the activity. Plus the restos you have visited despite some downsides.
I would love to try my hand at kite surfing. I know it must be a bit tiring and frustrating till you get the hang of it. Most things are not as easy as they look.
It’s an interesting weekend getaway! Love the pictures of the beach, and kite surfing looks cool too!
Sounds like a lovely weekend! I am giggling at the difference in size of the wine glasses – Dan drew the short straw there! I’ve never tried kite surfing myself, I’m not sure if I’d be any good at it!
The food does sound amazing I love sampling local dishes especially from places recommended by locals. Kitesurfing looks rather fun would love to try it.
Kite surfing is so much fun. I have only tried it on the ice though with little skies on. I loved it. Wine glasses on the picture look tempting!
This makes me want to be by the beach right now! Wouldn’t mind some wine either 😀 Kitesurfing sounds really fun – I’ve tried windsurfing before and absolutely loved it, so I’ll be sure to do this at some point!
Looks like an wonderfully relaxing time. You know what they say “Cure a hangover with more drinks!” You are definitely doing it right. I wish I was on a beach with that glass of wine in my hand.
It looks like a wonder place to travel. Kite surfing sounds the fun thing to do. Loved your pictures
Which places will you recommend to stay ? Probably near the beach. Food sounds good
The day spent well I will say! 🙂 Imagining myself with a glass of wine there. 😛 🙂
The picture says it is an ideal spot for parasailing too.
This is the first time we are reading on kitesurfing. It looks a bit of a challenge with so many surfers along that stretch of beach. Salad with cheese and toasted pumpkin sounds delicious. We would love to try a hand at kitesurfing someday
Sounds like you’re quite the seasoned drinker 😉 One of my favorite parts of a new destination is trying out their signatures.
Love the amount of food that you have mentioned in your travel blog. An equal glasses of water with the whisky usually prevents a hangover the next day. I love the idea of a Rioja hiding the sunburnt nose. Lovely food 🙂
Lovely to just walk around and observe those parachute from the kite surfers. I’d definitely say that it was a well spent day for you. Nice story 🙂
This looks like a great fun holiday with a lot of actvities. Although personally I won’t do much here. I’d just get a drink and relax and watch others do things.
nice “a day in my kite-surf life” post! Happy to see read a bit more personal post in opposed to most travel writers typical “list of X places to see in XY”.
I bet kite-surfing must be a great exercise! I was completely admiring kite-surfers in Fuerteventura last winter. Good luck with your next adventures, Emma! 🙂
Thanks – I prefer reading travel stories rather than ‘to-see’ lists so that’s what I try to write! Good luck to you too!
Busy beach which would be great for sightseeing and people watching. It seems a great place to just relax, read a book and enjoy the sun!
The kitesurfing sounds fun although I can imagine how exhausting and frustrating it can be – I was surfing for a while and there were times I had to push myself really hard to get back out there and try again.. Well done though, for at least trying 🙂
Yeah – might give it another go somewhere down the line! Definitely don’t recommend it with a hangover!! ?
I’ve been to Tarifa a few times as my husband is a windsurfer. Did you try the really cool pizza and cocktail bar, that is on the hill. It’s tiny but amazing
No I haven’t – we’re planning on going again soon though so I’ll have to look out for it!