19
July 2022
FY: The gardens and restaurant at Punta Sur are hard to beat
Punta Sur and the Hurricane are the best places to escape the wind in Tarifa, writes Jon Clarke side, particularly when the wind is up thanks to All three with different skills and differits protection from deep shrubbery. ent social circles, they formed a vision The hotel also counts on a pool table, while the to turn a scruffy beachside hostel into shady El Jardin restaurant has become a refone of southern Spain’s most emerence for those-in-the-know along the coast. blematic places to stay. This secret enclave is the perfect place to kick “We each had our own strengths, but back for lunch - or chill out for the day - when above all a love for the area,” explains the wind is blowing a hoolie from the west. Peter Whaley, 76, who divides his time There’s plenty of shade and the sound of wabetween Ibiza and Tarifa, where he ter percolates from all around, while the menu can still be seen out kitesurfing, surfis local and seasonal with plenty of special ing or increasingly windfoiling, almost touches. every day. The local tomatoes, with fresh basil and mozPeter - whose son Liam is among the zarella are excellent, while the tuna tartare is world’s best professional kitesurfers - had first as good as any I have eaten in Tarifa. landed in Tarifa in 1984 en route to Morocco, Meanwhile the steaks and burgers are defiwhere his younger brother James owned an nitely to be recommended, in particular on a achingly hip hotel in Essaouira. cool evening. A keen windsurfer, he was amazed to discovTake my advice and head for a stroll, crosser that the winds continued to blow for almost ing over the N-340, and heading down to the 80% of the year and saw an opening to set up beach where you can walk through rolling sand a rental firm for tourists. dunes for a mile in either direction and meet Alongside Australian boardmaker Barry Pusno-one. sell they opened a shack called This is one of the least unspoilt 100% Fun that sold and rented stretches of coastline in Spain windsurfs, plus his Dutch wife Easily the and the only buildings you will Terese’s clothes, from fashion nicest find are a few ancient pill boxes label Graffiti Ibiza. dug in by Franco during the dark swimming pool With careful marketing and plandays of his dictatorship, and a lot ning they had soon ushered in on the Costa de the celebrated Tarifa wind revoluof fun to explore for the children. Keep heading west and you will tion, an industry now worth tens la Luz eventually arrive at Tumbao and of millions of euros every year. Liam Whaley’s kite school, where Back then, though, there was noyou can kick back for a spot of lunch and watch where decent to stay so they bought a small the world go by. ruined 12-room hostel across the road and Head in the other direction east and you will started to renovate it. come to the Hurricane Hotel itself, another inThis was where his brother Michael, 71, a talcredible oasis of calm that keeps getting better ented builder and landscaper came in for his by the year. construction skills, as well as third brother This is a seminal place, which has entered James, who died in 2019. folklore as one of the most evocative hotels in The manager of 80s band Adam & the Ants southern Spain, somewhere even Queen Caand the producer of seminal films, Sebastiane milla is said to have luxuriated at, without her and Jubilee, he was a genuine style guru, with current king, it should be added. an uncanny knack for the latest fashions. A little slice of paradise, the Hurricane hoUnder his watchful eye the place slowly turned tel offers a choice of two pools, one strictly into one of Andalucia’s hippest places to stay. adults-only, while there is a fully-kitted gym, While the gardens and vegetation have maplus spa with sauna. tured each year, full of ponds and during the Yoga classes are on offer and the hotel can pandemic the team, including Michael’s son sort out any sort of adventure from cycling to George, a DJ, have worked hard to improve the horse riding or kitesurfing to dining. chill out areas and drive the quality of the food I opt to take a cup of Earl Grey under the umupwards. brella pines by the waters edge with a good The signing of a talented new hotel manager book, while the wine glasses are being set out Greetja and executive chef, who has worked for dinner on the terrace just up a short flight around South America, has really improved of steps. the menus and quality of food. The Hurricane Group is the life’s work of the English Whaley brothers, who acquired this Visit www.hotelhurricane.com or www.hoprime slice of Tarifa real estate back in 1985. telpuntasur.com
FLYING HIGH
I
T was perhaps only a matter of time that Liam Whaley would open his own kite school. Having traversed the world competing on the international circuit and a former global champion, he has finally taken over the centre at Valdevaqueros beach, by Tumbao. Sponsored by Porsche and after a big investment, the school is one of the best to offer the latest in kite technology, as well as windsurfs and windfoils. His team of talented instructors offer classes by the week, day or hour and a handful of half day sessions is enough to give you a good basis of all three watersports. While Liam is not always about, talented Mateo has been working on the coast for nearly a decade and has great knowledge and advice.
www.liamwhaleyprocenter.com
TALENT: And not just Liam