Plaza del Ángel, Tarifa, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

Plaza del Ángel is a small square in the old town of Tarifa, in the province of Cádiz, home to the church of San Francisco de Asís. Visitors come for a large purple bougainvillea and a handmade lamp inspired by the winds that shape the town, and many are surprised to find a church tucked into the corner.

The story behind it

The church is dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi and is built right into the houses around it. It has no free-standing sides, so you cannot walk around the building. Only the bell tower stands out above the rooftops. Over the centuries the temple went through many reforms, and today it mixes baroque and neoclassical elements. The steady west wind has given the white façade an uneven tone that picks out the traces of those changes.

The wind is the theme of the square. Tarifa is known as a capital of wind sports, and its two dominant winds are the Levante, from the east where the sun rises, and the Poniente, from the west where it sets. A lamp known as La lámpara de los Vientos, the lamp of the winds, stands for the compass rose. It is made entirely by hand, and a bell hangs from each point, so the lamp chimes when the breeze picks up. Close by, the covered market looks like an old Arab building but is not. Its Arabic-style design echoes Tarifa's Moorish past, and the building began as a convent that was turned into a market in the early twentieth century.

What to look for

• The purple bougainvillea spilling over the square, the favourite spot for photographs.
• The weathered white façade of San Francisco de Asís, where the wind has left patches of different tone and the outlines of earlier alterations.
• The bell tower, the only part of the church that rises clear of the surrounding houses.
• The lamp of the winds, with a bell hanging from each point of its compass rose, which rings when the wind blows.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 15 to 20 minutes for the square itself, longer if you want to photograph the bougainvillea and the façade at your own pace.
• Morning or late afternoon light is gentler on the white walls, and the square is usually calmer than at midday.
• The church is an active place of worship, so check current opening hours before planning to go inside, and dress respectfully.
• The covered market and the lanes of the old town are a short walk away, so pair the square with a stroll and a coffee. Bring a light layer, since the wind can pick up at any time.

See it on a quest

Discover Tarifa Through the Eyes of an Alchemist takes you to Plaza del Ángel on foot as one stop of a longer route through the old town. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look closely at the square instead of just passing through. You start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join, and one ticket covers the whole group.