Tarfaya

Overview

This town in the former Spanish territory of Cape Juby is famous for hosting "the aviator-writer" Antoine de Saint-Exupéry from 1927 to 1929, for 18 months during the Aéropostale era. A small monument and a museum are dedicated to him.

Landmarks

• Type of place: small town.

• Tourist interest: ★ (worth a stop if you are in the area).

• Location: on the Atlantic coast, just before Western Sahara.

• Distances: Laayoune (100 km to the south), Guelmim (340 km to the northeast), Khenifiss National Park: (approx. 50 km to the east)

• Local time: Heure : Tarfaya.

• Population: 8,027 inhabitants (2014).

• Area: 25 km².

• Altitude: sea level.

• Website: www.officetourismemaroc.com/Tarfaya.html

History of Tarfaya

What to see and do in Tarfaya

Though the Aéropostale and Saint-Exupéry left their mark on the town in their time, Tarfaya remains little visited by tourists. Three things to see:

• Casa del Mar: the ruins of a small two-century-old English fortress now a few dozen meters off the coast, in the open sea.

• Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Monument: a statue of a small airplane on its pedestal dedicated to the aviator.

• Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Museum of Tarfaya: this museum dedicated to the Aéropostale opened in 2004. It traces the adventure of the Toulouse–Saint-Louis, Senegal air route through various documents.

In the surrounding area

Khenifiss National Park ★★ (50 km)
This site near Tarfaya borders the ocean and consists, among other things, of beautiful dunes. It is a nesting area for birds.

Climate and weather in Tarfaya

Transport

Getting there

Getting around

Sleep

Eat

Useful addresses

Further reading