# Tarifa - Valdevaqueros — Tarifa, Spain

Valdevaqueros is the benchmark kitesurf beach in Tarifa: a sandy bay several kilometres long between Punta de la Peña and the great dune of Punta Paloma, with the Río del Valle flowing into the centre and featuring schools, chiringuitos and parking at the foot of the beach.

It is the Levante spot par excellence. The east wind comes in side-offshore, strong and gusty due to the proximity of the mountains, so an intermediate level and small gear are recommended, as well as not going too far out to sea. With Poniente it comes in side-onshore, more constant and with some waves, ideal for progressing and for wingfoil.

In July and August the swimming area in front of the chiringuitos is buoyed off and kite is practised outside of it; the rest of the year the beach is practically free. Forecasts are checked with ARPEGE, ECMWF and ICON.

Photos: «Playa de Valdevaqueros» by Susiypunto (CC BY-SA 3.0) and «PlayaValdevaqueros2013 01» by El Ayudante (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf, Windsurf, Wingfoil
- **Difficulty:** Intermediate
- **Location:** Tarifa, Spain (36.06544, -5.68288)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** E (90°), WSW (250°), W (270°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 12–45
- **Best months:** April, May, June, July, August, September, October

## Wind by month (% of days per strength)

| Month | <7 kn | 7–13 kn | 13–20 kn | 20–35 kn | >35 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12 | 59 | 24 | 3 | 2 |
| February | 14 | 53 | 24 | 8 | 1 |
| March | 10 | 43 | 31 | 16 | 0 |
| April | 11 | 46 | 28 | 14 | 1 |
| May | 5 | 60 | 23 | 12 | 0 |
| June | 17 | 54 | 23 | 5 | 1 |
| July | 6 | 63 | 18 | 13 | 0 |
| August | 18 | 60 | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| September | 10 | 46 | 33 | 11 | 0 |
| October | 8 | 54 | 33 | 5 | 0 |
| November | 19 | 52 | 23 | 6 | 0 |
| December | 24 | 50 | 20 | 5 | 1 |

## Local winds

- **Levante** — E (90°), 15–45 kn. East wind, strong and gusty; comes in side-offshore and pushes out to sea.. Strong gusts due to the mountains: small gear and do not go far from the shore.
- **Poniente** — WSW (250°), 12–30 kn. West-southwest wind, more constant; comes in side-onshore with some waves.

## Zones

- **Launch area** — Launch zone
- **Valdevaqueros** — Navigation zone
- **Parking** — Parking

## Points of interest

- **Punta Paloma rocks**: Rocks and shallows at the western point of the bay; with Levante the drift pushes towards here.
- **Río del Valle mouth**: The river flows into the sea in the centre of the bay: current, variable bottom and murky water after rain.
- **Punta de la Peña**: Rocks and cliff at the eastern end, towards Los Lances; watch out for the drift with Poniente.
- **Valdevaqueros dune**: The great dune that closes the beach to the west; visual reference for the spot.
- **Club Mistral**: Kite and windsurf centre at the foot of the beach, next to the parking.
- **Adrenalin Kite Area**: Kitesurf school in the Tangana area.
- **100% Fun (school and hotel)**: Kite School Valdevaqueros Tarifa, at Hotel 100% Fun (N-340).
- **Laduna Windsurfing**: Windsurf rental on the dune path.
- **Chiringuito Tangana**: Classic Valdevaqueros chiringuito, with Bibo Beach Bar next door.
- **Tumbao**: Chiringuito and bar next to the beach parking.
- **Camping Valdevaqueros**: Campsite 300 m from the beach, with toilets and showers.
- **Hotel Copacabana**: Kite-oriented hotel on the N-340, 400 m from the beach.

## Hazards

- Gusty Levante (side-offshore)
- Punta Paloma rocks
- Río del Valle mouth
- Punta de la Peña rocks

## Facilities

- Restaurant
- Toilets
- Showers
- School
- Parking

## Restrictions

- Julio y agosto: zona de baño balizada frente a los chiringuitos; el kite se practica fuera de ella

[See it on Ventus Surf (3D map, zones and live forecast)](https://ventus.surf/spots/tarifa-valdevaqueros-OpygodoGZeI1GCLGS7Jq?lang=en)