The Best Little Hostal in Tarifa

Where: Calle San Jos�, 52, Tarifa, Spain, 11380

May 23, 2008 at 2:35 PM | by jennm | 0 Comments

Yesterday we mentioned how when we visited Tarifa, Spain, in preparation for a trip to Tangier Morocco, we stayed at a hostel--certainly not something that made T+L's It List, though it does deserve to be on the list of any budget-minded traveler who appreciates friendly staff, a clean room and a hot shower.

Hostal Alborada offered us a large double room (though with a bit of an anti-view), full bath (all rooms here have full baths), TV and free working WiFi for just $94 per night.

The family-owned operation also houses it's own café, serving up small items like croissants and fresh-squeezed O.J., as well as two clean and sunlight indoor "patio" areas.

Staff are incredibly friendly and speak English very well, which comes in handy when you are tasked with asking questions about your trip to Tangier that you have no idea how to say in Spanish, i.e. Is it as bad as they say? Do women need to wear headscarves? Neither of which are true, you'll be rightly told.

One of the main reasons people visit the tiny town of Tarifa is for its proximity to the northern tip of Africa. A ferry ride advertised as 35 minutes actually takes about an hour, but certainly the easiest way to get in a quick trip to another continent.

The owners of Hostal Alborada know this and can easily arrange it all for you: round-trip ferry tickets, a guide to greet you as you disembark and even a driver to take you to Tarifa's port. They charge a commission of course, and the prices may be a tiny bit over-inflated than if you did it on your own, but avoiding the hassle of being hustled throughout Tangier make the wee bit of extra dough worth it.

Overall, we came away from the hostal thinking we've never had such a five-star experience at a not-even-starred property.

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