Climate and average weather in Tarifa
In Tarifa, the summers are humid, warm, dry, and clear and the winters are mild and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Tarifa typically varies from 12°C to 26°C, and is rarely below 9°C or above 29°C. August is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Tarifa for warm-weather activities is from mid May to early October.
- Hottest
- Aug
- 26°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 12°
- Wettest
- Dec
- 103 mm
- Driest
- Jul
- 1 mm
- Rain / yr
- 616 mm
- 70 wet days
- Daylight
- 9.6–14.4 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 22 m
- 36.0°N
- Clearest
- Jul
- 13% cloud
Tarifa is capital town of the municipality of Tarifa, Spain.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Tarifa weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around mid May to early October.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Tarifa, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.1 months, from June 20 to September 20, with daily high temperatures above 24°C. The hottest month of the year in Tarifa is August, with an average high of 26°C and low of 21°C.
The cool season lasts 4.2 months, from November 22 to March 30, with daily high temperatures below 17°C. The coldest month of the year in Tarifa is January, with an average low of 12°C and high of 15°C.
Days typically run about 4°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 16 |
| Avg low (°C) | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 13 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | 12 |
| Feb | 16 | 12 |
| Mar | 17 | 13 |
| Apr | 18 | 14 |
| May | 21 | 16 |
| Jun | 23 | 18 |
| Jul | 26 | 20 |
| Aug | 26 | 21 |
| Sep | 24 | 20 |
| Oct | 21 | 17 |
| Nov | 18 | 15 |
| Dec | 16 | 13 |
Average hourly temperature in Tarifa
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on August afternoons, near 26°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 12°C.
Tarifa weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15° / 12° | 85 | 8.9 | 9.8 | 4.9 |
| Feb | 16° / 12° | 75 | 8.1 | 10.6 | 5.0 |
| Mar | 17° / 13° | 72 | 8.6 | 11.7 | 5.7 |
| Apr | 18° / 14° | 51 | 7.1 | 12.9 | 6.6 |
| May | 21° / 16° | 26 | 4.7 | 13.9 | 7.6 |
| Jun | 23° / 18° | 5 | 0.9 | 14.4 | 9.1 |
| Jul | 26° / 20° | 1 | 0.1 | 14.2 | 9.2 |
| Aug | 26° / 21° | 3 | 0.6 | 13.4 | 8.9 |
| Sep | 24° / 20° | 32 | 3.7 | 12.2 | 8.4 |
| Oct | 21° / 17° | 75 | 7.9 | 11.1 | 7.0 |
| Nov | 18° / 15° | 91 | 8.7 | 10.1 | 6.2 |
| Dec | 16° / 13° | 103 | 10.4 | 9.6 | 5.2 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Tarifa gets about 616 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 7.1 months, from around Oct 3 to May 6, peaking in December at about 34% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jul 23.
December is the wettest month by volume, with 103 mm over about 10 wet days; July is the driest, with 1 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 29 | 30 | 27 | 24 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 26 | 29 | 33 |
| Rain days | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 9 |
| Feb | 30 | 8 |
| Mar | 27 | 9 |
| Apr | 24 | 7 |
| May | 15 | 5 |
| Jun | 3 | 1 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 2 | 1 |
| Sep | 12 | 4 |
| Oct | 26 | 8 |
| Nov | 29 | 9 |
| Dec | 33 | 10 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Tarifa collects about 616 mm of rain across 70 wet days — roughly 51 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. December is the wettest month with 103 mm, while July is the driest at just 1 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 45% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 85 | 75 | 72 | 51 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 32 | 75 | 91 | 103 |
| Rain days | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85 | 9 |
| Feb | 75 | 8 |
| Mar | 72 | 9 |
| Apr | 51 | 7 |
| May | 26 | 5 |
| Jun | 5 | 1 |
| Jul | 1 | 0 |
| Aug | 3 | 1 |
| Sep | 32 | 4 |
| Oct | 75 | 8 |
| Nov | 91 | 9 |
| Dec | 103 | 10 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Tarifa, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around May 10 and lasts for 4.8 months, ending around October 3. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 97% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 4 and lasts for 7.2 months, ending around May 9. The cloudiest month is December, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 45% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 60 | 60 | 61 | 67 | 74 | 89 | 97 | 91 | 78 | 63 | 60 | 55 |
| Cloudier (%) | 40 | 40 | 39 | 33 | 26 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 22 | 37 | 40 | 45 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 40 |
| Feb | 60 | 40 |
| Mar | 61 | 39 |
| Apr | 67 | 33 |
| May | 74 | 26 |
| Jun | 89 | 11 |
| Jul | 97 | 3 |
| Aug | 91 | 9 |
| Sep | 78 | 22 |
| Oct | 63 | 37 |
| Nov | 60 | 40 |
| Dec | 55 | 45 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 8, brings about 14 h 24 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 9 h 36 min — a swing of roughly 4 h 48 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.8 | 10.6 | 11.7 | 12.9 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.2 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 8:38 | 8:18 | 7:41 | 6:55 | 6:22 | 6:10 | 6:21 | 6:45 | 7:10 | 7:35 | 8:06 | 8:32 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:26 | 6:56 | 7:24 | 7:50 | 8:16 | 8:36 | 8:35 | 8:08 | 7:23 | 6:40 | 6:09 | 6:06 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.8 | 8:38 | 6:26 |
| Feb | 10.6 | 8:18 | 6:56 |
| Mar | 11.7 | 7:41 | 7:24 |
| Apr | 12.9 | 6:55 | 7:50 |
| May | 13.9 | 6:22 | 8:16 |
| Jun | 14.4 | 6:10 | 8:36 |
| Jul | 14.2 | 6:21 | 8:35 |
| Aug | 13.4 | 6:45 | 8:08 |
| Sep | 12.2 | 7:10 | 7:23 |
| Oct | 11.1 | 7:35 | 6:40 |
| Nov | 10.1 | 8:06 | 6:09 |
| Dec | 9.6 | 8:32 | 6:06 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Tarifa averages about 17 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 11 and 28 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 4.3 months, from around May 19 to Sep 25. The sunniest month is July, with roughly 28 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is December, down near 11 sunny days — about 59% fewer than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 24 | 28 | 26 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 12 |
| Sky | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | Mixed |
| Feb | 12 | Mixed |
| Mar | 14 | Mixed |
| Apr | 15 | Mixed |
| May | 18 | Bright |
| Jun | 24 | Brilliant |
| Jul | 28 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 26 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 18 | Bright |
| Oct | 14 | Mixed |
| Nov | 13 | Mixed |
| Dec | 12 | Mixed |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Tarifa, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 5.0 months, from around June 2 to November 1. The muggiest month is August, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 98% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around November 2 to June 1, and March is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 93 | 93 | 87 | 67 | 29 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 50 | 80 |
| Comfortable (%) | 7 | 7 | 13 | 33 | 58 | 32 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 27 | 37 | 19 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 55 | 51 | 32 | 41 | 51 | 12 | 1 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 41 | 57 | 45 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 93 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 93 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 87 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 67 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 29 | 58 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 5 | 32 | 55 | 7 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 6 | 51 | 41 | 2 |
| Aug | 0 | 2 | 32 | 57 | 9 |
| Sep | 1 | 11 | 41 | 45 | 2 |
| Oct | 10 | 27 | 51 | 12 | 0 |
| Nov | 50 | 37 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Dec | 80 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Tarifa is typically light breeze, near 18 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 3.4 months, from around Jan 21 to May 2. The windiest month is March, averaging about 20 km/h (breezy).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Jun 19 to Dec 9, with September the calmest month at about 17 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | breezy | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19 | light breeze |
| Feb | 20 | light breeze |
| Mar | 20 | breezy |
| Apr | 20 | light breeze |
| May | 18 | light breeze |
| Jun | 19 | light breeze |
| Jul | 18 | light breeze |
| Aug | 17 | light breeze |
| Sep | 17 | light breeze |
| Oct | 17 | light breeze |
| Nov | 18 | light breeze |
| Dec | 19 | light breeze |
Hazard calendar for Tarifa
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Tarifa's rainy season runs October–April, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Tarifa
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Tarifa throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late September, Tarifa is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Tarifa for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid May to early October, with a peak score in the last week of June.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.7 | 6.5 | 7.6 | 9.0 | 9.2 | 8.9 | 8.4 | 7.1 | 6.2 | 5.2 |
| Rating | fair | fair | good | good | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | good | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.9 | fair |
| Feb | 5.0 | fair |
| Mar | 5.7 | good |
| Apr | 6.5 | good |
| May | 7.6 | ideal |
| Jun | 9.0 | ideal |
| Jul | 9.2 | ideal |
| Aug | 8.9 | ideal |
| Sep | 8.4 | ideal |
| Oct | 7.1 | good |
| Nov | 6.2 | good |
| Dec | 5.2 | fair |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Tarifa for hot-weather activities is from mid June to mid September, with a peak score in the last week of July.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Tarifa, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around August (highs near 26°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 15°C), pack a warm layer and rain gear.
In August, Tarifa sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 21°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes.
Sea temperature near Tarifa
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 16 km away) is warmest in August at about 22°C and coldest in March near 16°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 24 to Oct 18 — about 3.8 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
| Comfort | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Cool | Cool |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17 | Cool |
| Feb | 16 | Cool |
| Mar | 16 | Cool |
| Apr | 17 | Cool |
| May | 18 | Cool |
| Jun | 20 | Cool |
| Jul | 21 | Refreshing |
| Aug | 22 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 21 | Refreshing |
| Oct | 20 | Refreshing |
| Nov | 19 | Cool |
| Dec | 18 | Cool |
UV index (midday) in Tarifa by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Tarifa peaks around July 17 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 2 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 2 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Very high | High | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | Moderate |
| Feb | 3 | Moderate |
| Mar | 7 | High |
| Apr | 9 | Very high |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 8 | Very high |
| Jul | 10 | Extreme |
| Aug | 8 | Very high |
| Sep | 7 | High |
| Oct | 6 | High |
| Nov | 3 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2 | Moderate |
Average hourly UV index in Tarifa
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in July the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 6 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 6.5 | 3 |
| Apr | 7.5 | 4.5 |
| May | 7.5 | 4 |
| Jun | 8 | 4.5 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 6 |
| Aug | 7.5 | 4.5 |
| Sep | 6.5 | 2.5 |
| Oct | 5 | 0 |
| Nov | 1 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 |
Air quality in Tarifa by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Tarifa is worst in March — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.7× the cleanest month (June, 10 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 12 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
| Level | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | Good |
| Feb | 14 | Moderate |
| Mar | 17 | Moderate |
| Apr | 14 | Moderate |
| May | 12 | Good |
| Jun | 10 | Good |
| Jul | 13 | Moderate |
| Aug | 13 | Moderate |
| Sep | 13 | Moderate |
| Oct | 13 | Moderate |
| Nov | 12 | Good |
| Dec | 11 | Good |
Growing season
Tarifa is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Tarifa banks about 2,898 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 106 | 100 | 145 | 179 | 253 | 323 | 400 | 419 | 357 | 290 | 188 | 137 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 106 |
| Feb | 100 |
| Mar | 145 |
| Apr | 179 |
| May | 253 |
| Jun | 323 |
| Jul | 400 |
| Aug | 419 |
| Sep | 357 |
| Oct | 290 |
| Nov | 188 |
| Dec | 137 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Tarifa receives about 5.1 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 2.3 and 7.9 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.1 months, from around Mar 21 to Sep 21. The brightest month is July, averaging about 7.7 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 2.4 kWh/m² — roughly 69% less than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 2.7 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 6.2 | 7.0 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 6.9 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 2.9 | 2.4 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.7 | Moderate |
| Feb | 3.7 | Moderate |
| Mar | 4.9 | Bright |
| Apr | 6.2 | Intense |
| May | 7.0 | Intense |
| Jun | 7.7 | Intense |
| Jul | 7.8 | Intense |
| Aug | 6.9 | Intense |
| Sep | 5.5 | Bright |
| Oct | 4.0 | Moderate |
| Nov | 2.9 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2.4 | Moderate |
Where is Tarifa?
Tarifa sits at 36.0°N, 5.6°W, 22 m above sea level, in Spain. The nearest listed city is Algeciras, 19 km away.
Topography around Tarifa
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Tarifa.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Tarifa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 159 m around an average of 16 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 826 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,904 m.
The land around Tarifa is covered by water (59%) and grassland (29%) within 3 km, water (64%) and trees (20%) within 16 km, and water (47%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.
Spain travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / F
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 65% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $38,627
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.5 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 99%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 0.7
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 3.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- English
- Moderate
- EF EPI 540
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Tarifa (36.0139°, -5.607°, elevation 22 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).