The coolest new villa in Tarifa
Lisa Grainger enjoys a first look at the Marbella Club’s glamorous new outpost on the most southerly tip of Spain
There’s something magical about standing at the very bottom of a continent, be that on Cape Point in South Africa, Patagonia in Argentina or, in this case, Tarifa in Spain. When Jennica Arazi, the co-owner of the elegant Marbella Club, first discovered the little kitesurfing town of Tarifa on the most southerly point of mainland Europe, she instantly realised that “there was nowhere else anything like it”. Surrounded by national park, which limits the town’s development, and fringed by long, creamy beaches with giant dunes, the area felt undeveloped and unspoilt. With Morocco’s purply mountains glowing nine miles away across the Strait of Gibraltar, it felt exotic. And with a colourful population of kitesurfers and hippies, horse breeders and farmers, joined by an influx of international holidaymakers every summer, it had a “lovely relaxed, safe, arty feel”.
The only problem, for someone used to the impeccable service and standards of the Marbella Club, was there was nowhere comparable for her to stay. So when she was offered a villa in 2019 she took it, and this summer opened it as the town’s ultimate holiday rental, offering both the privacy of a private home and the services associated with her family’s illustrious Málaga hotel.
Set at the very end of a little-used coastal road, surrounded by the pine forests of the Estrecho Natural Park, and fronted by sloping lawns that drop down to a little beach, the house feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere. Drive ten minutes along a dune-fringed road and you’re on the wind-whipped beaches of Valdevaqueros, buzzing with surfers and kiters. Walk an hour the other way, through coves and up into cedar-scented forests, and you’re on the wild white beaches of Bolonia, with their Roman ruins and beach-shack restaurants, picnicking families and herds of wandering cows. Or hang out at home, with only birds tweeting and flittering overhead, waves crashing below and ships sailing by in the distance, and you can do pretty much whatever you want.
With the help of the local antiques house Fábrica de Hielo, as well as the interior designers Paola Galiardi and Paloma, Arazi has transformed the previously dark, traditional stone and tile bungalow into a light, limewashed, open-plan contemporary house filled with local crafts and antiques, designed for big gatherings of families and friends. The neat layout means everyone has a little bit of private space, whether you’re in one of the two bedrooms in the main house, the three double suites alongside it or the wooden garden cottage, which is “ideal for boisterous teens”, she says, “or perhaps grandparents wanting some quiet”.
Having designed the nine other hotels she owns with her brother (including Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay), Arazi understands what guests want — and has thought through every detail. Between the suites is an enormous, open-sided, shaded living space, with U-shaped sofas organised like they are in a yacht. Here you can put up your feet, grapefruit cocktail in hand, fan whirring overhead, music coming from the Sonos surround-sound system, and stare out over the lawns and the sea. Beside the house is an infinity pool with a gently sloping floor, so on scorching summer days guests can lie semi-submerged like a seal, half-cooling, half-baking. Hidden in the garden is a shaded children’s area with a playhouse and swings, toys and books, that’s close enough for parents to keep half an eye on. On higher lawns there is a raised birdwatching tower, so twitchers can watch the tens of thousands of birds (including clouds of storks) that migrate between Africa and Europe in autumn and spring. And, in between, amid ancient pines and rustling palms, are scattered Paola Lenti beanbags for snoozes, an aerial yoga deck and outdoor gym, a little beach shack and a shower for cooling off. There is even a set of sheds beside the veg garden converted into a tiny spa, with double treatment beds, a sauna and shaded patio for relaxing.
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While this would all be perfectly lovely, the staff take the level of being spoilt up a notch. The villa manager, Noelia Montes, can organise pretty much anything, from transfers in smart black Mercedes vans and local sherry-tasting sessions to riding with a debonaire breeder of Andalusian steeds, and water sports lessons with Tarifa’s pros. Masseuses can be summoned and cleaners come twice a day, so not only are beds made and dishes done, but the sheets are also turned down and curtains shut. There are fresh wildflowers and Comfort Zone and Votary amenities in the rooms, and fresh fruit and pressed juices in the fridge (or a full grocery shop, if ordered). For evening entertainment, the library is stocked with games, books referencing the area, and films and documentaries to watch on the indoor or outdoor screen.
Perhaps the biggest treat is that one of the town’s most talented young chefs, Helena Martin Riva, and her partner, Juan, have been lured to work as private chefs for those clients who don’t fancy cooking. The pair serve up dishes that are full of local flavours: caesar salad rich with herbs and an anchovy dressing; sweet beetroot salad with truffled goat’s cheese; local beef slow-flamed on the fire; homemade pastas with the famous Almadraba tuna; and fresh cakes for tea. All can be served as a picnic on the beach, on beautiful local ceramics in the shade by the vegetable garden, or packed up for day trips to see the white hill town of Vejer de la Frontera or the historic city of Cádiz. From this summer guests will also be able to walk five minutes down the road to eat at the casual El Mirlo restaurant, which Arazi has also just bought. “Then you won’t have to get in a car and go anywhere for your holidays,” she says, grinning. “My idea of heaven!”
Villa Punta Paloma costs from €7,000 per night including daily breakfast, villa host and daily housekeeping
