Los Canos de Meca / Huelva / Spain

Situated around 1 hour west of Tarifa heading towards Cadiz lies the beach at Los Canos De Meca. This is a very popular spot for surfers, wind surfers and kite surfers of intermediate and expert ability. Novices are not advised to surf here because of the reefs that are clearly visible during low tide. There are special wind and kite surfer zones set up during the busy summer months. The best times to surf here are from April through to September when the thermal winds blow.

This spot has a medium sized sandy beach with small rocks scattered along its length. Kite surfers would be best to enter the water near the lighthouse. To get here you will need to head west out of Tarifa, heading towards Cadiz on the N340. Keep following this road until you see signs for Barbate, then Los Canos De Meca. Follow the road down to the lighthouse where you can park.

The wind at Los Canos tends to blow in two directions... these are south east and north west. During the summer the south easterly breezes tend to be thermal. Both directions work well here. The water quality is absolutely crystal clear and conditions are generally choppy with small to medium waves of up to 3 meters in height, becoming fairly frequent. The water temperature remains pleasant even during the winter at around 16-18 degrees, however a long wetsuit will still be needed.

There is plenty of parking at this spot and there is also a beach bar where you can get food and a drink. For shops, bars and restaurants, then your nearest town is Barbate. For some pretty good nightlife take the drive back to Tarifa.

Make sure that you surf within your zones during the summer months. Keep a look out for the reefs, especially at low tide. Also watch out for swimmers and bathers in the water during the summer season.