Tarifa weather in September
September in Tarifa: warm, dry, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#4 of 12 months in Tarifa · #295 of 1413 destinations to visit in September · comfort 89/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 25°C
- Nights
- 20°C
- Wet days
- 2
- Sun
- 11 h
- Humidity
- 77%
- Daylight
- 12 h

Traveller notes on Tarifa in September
Notes from nearby Gibraltar (27 km away)
Tarifa doesn't have its own notes for September yet — these are about Gibraltar, close enough to share the season.
September here is barely cooler than August by the board's account - still hot, still a high sun index - and our row gives 26.1C reading as 27C over 20.1C nights with 17.4mm of rain across 2.9 days. The detail worth having is geographical: the sun does not clear the Rock until about half past ten, so the town sits in cool shade for the first hours of the day, which is when to walk it. The beaches are on the eastern side and the sea is 21.8C, warm enough that the changing rooms stay open to the end of the month. A 20.2 kph wind keeps 74 percent humidity from feeling heavy. The record: 11 hours of sun and AQI 56.
Other months in Tarifa
Regulars are specific this island sits right between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, making it a genuine windsurfing destination almost year-round, the Levante wind capable of blowing hard along the coast toward Gibraltar though it typically doesn't last long. Our row backs that mild, genuinely dry read, 24.1C over 18.3C nights feeling 19C, with rain essentially absent, 5.3mm across just a single day, and a real 21.2 kph wind. Regulars are consistent this counts as good beach weather without the crowds that arrive once schools let out in July and August, a genuinely quieter window for the same warm conditions. The sea sits at a cool 21C. The record: 13.1 hours of sun, humidity 72 percent and AQI 52.
Two winds run this town and regulars name both. The levante comes from the east and is the strong one - good kitesurfers wait for it, and when it really blows the beach becomes unusable and the port can close. The poniente comes from the west, gentler, and suits the beginners and some spots better. Our column gives 20 kph as an August average, which is the middle of a month that swings between those two. Otherwise it is a benign month: 27.1C reading as 30C, 21.2C nights, 2.3mm of rain and 12.5 hours of sun. The sea is 22.1C, cooler than the Mediterranean a few miles east because this is where the Atlantic begins. The record: humidity 73 percent and AQI 62.
Forum posters describe Tarifa as reliably windy essentially year-round, which is exactly what makes it Europe's windsurfing and kitesurfing capital regardless of season - posters note winds tend to be lighter in the morning and pick up as the day goes on, useful for timing a session. Posters are candid winter here is genuinely cool: the sea runs cold enough that a proper wetsuit is standard gear for January water sports, even though posters say you'd be unlucky not to catch at least a few genuinely warm, T-shirt-weather days within a winter stay. Posters are consistent Tarifa is a real, year-round working town rather than a seasonal tourist trap - rental shops, instruction and gear are available through the winter, not just in the busy summer months.
Tarifa's forum calls July peak season, warm and lively with restaurants and beach bars in full swing. Regulars are unanimous that wind is the defining feature here year-round — Europe's windsurfing capital for a reason — and flag it as strong enough on a bad day to sandblast anyone lounging on the beach, worth knowing before booking a purely relaxing beach trip.
Add your own note from Tarifa's card on the map.
Tarifa climate normals — September
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Tarifa in September
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsFeria de Nuestra Senora de la Luz, Summer holidays in Spain, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Tarifa's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherTarifa's weather peaks June–August, best around July.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Tarifa in September
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Nature
Whale and dolphin season
1 Apr – 15 Oct · usuallyWhale seasonPilot whales and three dolphin species are resident in the strait through the season, with sperm whales passing. Boats go from the harbour and turn back when the levante is up.
- Season
Levante season
15 May – 30 Sep · usuallyWind seasonRiskThe easterly funnels through the strait for days at a time and is why every kite and windsurf school in Spain is here. It also makes the beach unusable for anyone lying on it.
- Nature
Autumn raptor migration
15 Aug – 31 Oct · usuallyBirdlife seasonThe bigger of the two passages: honey buzzards in late August, then booted eagles, black kites and storks streaming south through September from the observatories above town.
- Festival
Feria de Nuestra Senora de la Luz
1–10 Sep · usuallyReligious feastCrowdedThe town's own week at the start of September: a fairground, horses through the old walls and a week when Tarifa belongs to Tarifenos rather than to the kite crowd. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Tarifa — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Tarifa?
Tarifa in September — FAQ
- Is September a good time to visit Tarifa?
- September in Tarifa: warm, dry, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #4 of 12 months for Tarifa on SeasonMap's comfort score (89/100).
- What is the weather like in Tarifa in September?
- In September, Tarifa averages a daily high of 25.4°C and a low of 19.5°C, with about 11.4 mm of rain over roughly 1.7 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Tarifa in September?
- Tarifa has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 48 in September.
Within 300 km: Gibraltar's Dolphins in the bay around 1 Apr – 30 Sep, and Marbella's Beach clubs and chiringuitos open around 1 Apr – 15 Oct.