Tarifa

Tarifa, on the Straits of Gibraltar at the southernmost tip of mainland Europe—where the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet—has become Europe's biggest wind- and kite-surfing center. One of the earliest Moorish settlements in Spain, strong winds kept it off the tourist maps for years but have ultimately proven a source of wealth: the vast wind farm on the surrounding hills creates electricity, and the wide, white-sand beaches stretching north of the town have become a huge attraction. As a result, the town has continued to grow and prosper. Downtown cafés, which not that long ago were filled with men playing dominoes and drinking anís, now serve croissants with their café con leche and make fancy tapas for a cosmopolitan crowd.