Tariffa, Spain

Tariffa is a dusty, wind blown town at the southern tip of Spain where time is best spent enjoying the white sand beaches, hiking in the hills, drinking sherry and eating tapas. It is also one of the towns visited by Santiago in Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist.”

Some things I enjoyed:

• Great windsurfing at the windy beaches of Ensenada de Valdevaqueros, and further up the coast near where the Battle of Trafalgar took place at Caños de Meca.

• A scenic drive through poppy fields and wind farms to Tajo de las Figuras, near Benalup. This is an area of prehistoric cave paintings and archaeological discoveries. Well worth the hike.

• Whilst it is simple, I enjoyed Café Suk, on Calle Mar Tirreno. They serve nice food and coffee which can be enjoyed sitting Moroccan style whilst checking your emails on the free wireless internet.