Latest news with #TravelWithRafa
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Daily Mail
The pretty town dubbed 'Bali of Europe' - with flights from £30 and £2.50 cocktails
With its beaches lined with palm trees, crystal-clear water and cheap prices, it's no surprise that Bali is a dream holiday destination for many. But the cost of long-haul flights means that a holiday in the Indonesian paradise can come at a hefty price. Luckily, there's a cheaper alternative that's much closer to the UK. According to travel influencer Travel with Rafa, Tarifa in southern Spain offers a similar vibe to the Indonesian island. In a video posted to YouTube, Rafaela says: 'It feels like a tropical paradise in the middle of the Mediterranean. It feels like the Bali of Europe!' Tarifa sits just nine miles across the shore from Morocco so it's no surprise that temperatures average 25 degrees in August. The town is located on Spain's Costa de la Luz or Coast of Light, so beaches are its top attractions. Tarifa's best-rated beach is Playa de Bolonia, which one reviewer describes as 'spectacular'. Writing on Tripadvisor, 'Inaki Rubi' says: 'Huge, clean, spectacular. The sunset blows your mind.' Playa de los Lances is the town's next best-rated beach and has been praised for its 'crystal clear water'. A reviewer writes on Tripadvisor: 'Super nice beach with very fine and great opportunities to take a break. You can watch the kite surfers walking. Great lifestyle.' And while you can sunbathe on Tarifa's beaches, the town's Atlantic waves attract surfers, kite surfers and wind surfers. Beginners can sign up at one of Tarifa's multilingual kitesurfing schools to learn the ropes while experienced kitesurfers can check out the waves at Playa de Valdevaqueros. After hitting the waves, Brits can visit one of the town's many beach bars which serve cocktails for just €3/£2.50 at happy hour. When it comes to eating out, seafood is the main event on many restaurant menus with swordfish a popular choice. If you fancy ticking another continent off your bucket list, the ferry to Tangier in Morocco takes around one hour. How to get to Tarifa Britons can reach Tarifa by flying directly to Gibraltar. EasyJet offers flights from Manchester and London while BA flies from London. The flight takes just under three hours from London and tourists will then have a one-hour drive to Tarifa once in Gibraltar. The town is also easily reached from Malaga Airport, which is generally cheaper to fly to from the UK. Direct flights to Malaga are available from Nottingham, London, Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle and more, with offers available for just £30. Once in Malaga, it will take tourists just over two hours to reach Tarifa. If Tarifa doesn't appeal, why not take a look at the Italian city that's been named one of the world's best places to visit in 2025? Genoa has one of the world's largest medieval town centres. Within its depths, tourists will discover a labyrinth of caruggi (alleyways) packed with historic monuments.
News.com.au
10-06-2025
- News.com.au
Tiny ‘Bali of Europe' town has beautiful beaches
A beach town in the south of Spain has been compared to Bali thanks to its beautiful beaches and laid-back vibes. Tarifa is the most southerly town in mainland Europe, being less than nine miles from Africa. It is often named the kite surfing capital of Europe thanks to its strong winds making it a popular sport there. Travel influencer and photographer Scarlett compared the vibe to being similar to 'Santa Cruz in California'. However, it is also often called the Bali of Europe thanks to its huge sandy beaches. Another influencer, Travel with Rafa, said: 'It feels like a tropical paradise in the middle of the Mediterranean. It feels like the Bali of Europe!' Playa de Bologna beach is one of the popular beaches where you can also go hiking as well. Otherwise there is also Playa de Los Lances which is where you will spot most of the kite and windsurfers. Or the Bali-like beach Playa de Valdevaqueros, which is home to the surfer-style Tumbao Beach Bar. Tourists should also head to Waikiki beach bar, with its thatched umbrellas, or Aloha Bar for €3 ($A5) cocktails. Near this is the Baelo Claudia, the ruins of a 2,000 year old Roman town. If you want to explore the Old Town, it is home to beautiful tapas bars, nightclubs and local shops. This is where the night-life is as well, with many of the streets filled with both tourists and locals. But while it is very Spanish in its atmosphere, it's also easy to see Moroccan influences as well with Moorish architecture. Puera de Jerez is the ancient entrance of the walled town, and where you can also visit the 800-year-old Castle of Tarifa. On a long walkway is Isla de Tarifa, which has some of the best views of the town. While there are a number of hotels and B&Bs to choose from, there are also a number of campsites and caravan sites. For example, Via Villagio Tarifa has glamping pods right on the beach or Dunas Tarifa with palm tree cabanas and safari lodges. Tarifa is also easy to get to, being around an hour from Gibraltar by car. Or, if you're in Morocco, it is around one hour by ferry from Tangier which you can fly to from the UK for $A40 with Ryanair. You should visit the city of Tangier as well, which has been named a top holiday spot by Vogue last year. Not only are new luxury hotels popping up, but it has even been used to film Jason Bourne, Mission Impossible and James Bond.
The Sun
09-06-2025
- The Sun
Tiny ‘Bali of Europe' town right by Africa has beautiful beaches and £20 flights from the UK
A BEACH town in the south of Spain has been compared to Bali thanks to its beautiful beaches and laid-back vibes. Tarifa is the most southerly town in mainland Europe, being less than nine miles from Africa. 6 6 It is often named the kite-surfing capital of Europe thanks to its strong winds making it a popular sport there. Travel influencer Scar l ett compared the vibe to being "Santa Cruz in California". However, it is also often called the Bali of Europe thanks to its huge sandy beaches. Another influencer, Travel with Rafa, sad: "It feels like a tropical paradise in the middle of the Mediterranean. It feels like the Bali of Europe!" Playa de Bologna beach is one of the popular beaches where you can also go hiking as well. Otherwise there is also Playa de Los Lances which is where you will spot most of the kitesurfers and windsurfers. Or the Bali-like beach is Playa de Valdevaqueros, which is home to the surfer-style Tumbao Beach Bar. Tourists also head to Waikiki beach bar, with Bali-like thatched umbrellas, or Aloha Bar for €3 cocktails. Near this is also the Baelo Claudia, a 2,000 year old Roman town now ruins. If you want to explore the Old Town, it is home to beautiful tapas bars, nightclubs and local shops. Exploring the Beautiful Costa de la Luz This is where the nightlife is as well, with many of the streets filled with both tourists and locals. But while it is very Spanish in its atmosphere, it is also easy to see Moroccan influences as well with Moorish architecture. Puera de Jerez is the ancient entrance of the walled town, and where you can also visit the 800-year-old Castle of Tarifa. On a long walkway is also Isla de Tarifa which has some of the best views of the town as well. 6 6 While there are a number of hotels and B&Bs to choose from there are also a number of campsites and caravan sites. For example, there is Via Villagio Tarifa, which has glamping pods right on the beach or Dunas Tarifa with palm tree cabanas and safari lodges. Tarifa is also easy to get to, being around an hour from Gibraltar by car. Or, if in Morocco, it is around one hour by ferry from Tangier which you can fly to from the UK for £20 with Ryanair. Here is why you should visit the city of Tangier as well, which named a top holiday spot by Vogue last year. Not only are new luxury hotels popping up, but it has even been used to film Jason Bourne, Mission Impossible and James Bond. What is a holiday in Tarifa like? Here's what one writer thought after visiting. Old town Tarifa after 11pm turns in to what, in Britain, we might class as a street party. There is a courtyard with bars all around it and seating in the middle which is so lively it almost has festival vibes. Poniente's lazy start to the day looks even better when you learn that the clubs don't even open until 2am so you'll be needing that lie-in. So if you go to Tarifa and find kitesurfing really isn't for you then you won't be short of things to do. They say if you can kite in Tarifa, you can kite anywhere. In the mean time, here is another Spanish island off the coast of Africa. And a £5.1billion underwater tunnel could connect Spain and Morocco. 6
