South Hostel Tarifa

It’s a pleasant hostel quite close to the beach, and the common area and kitchen were the most charming parts. The staff tried to help, but often nobody was at reception, just a sign saying you could call someone. The café hadn’t opened yet because the season hadn’t started. The biggest issue was the main entrance always being shut, so we had to use the back door. It seemed to be the emergency exit, but it only opened with a key. If you didn’t have a key on your side and no staff were around, you were locked in. The mattress wasn’t comfortable, the interior was very minimal, and the bathrooms were only semi-clean with no way to adjust the temperature. On my last day, I was politely reminded that guests could use the common area only until 4 p.m. after checkout, then had to leave. You get what you pay for, and I suspect they’re aiming for guests aged 18 and up.

The worst and most expensive hostel I’ve stayed in, and I’ve been to quite a few. The toilets were barely hygienic, and the rooms smelled and were dirty.

The rooftop sea view was amazing, and the common room was a great place to relax and meet other guests. South Hostel was a great stay, with really friendly staff who were always ready to help. The location is perfect, close to the beach and with grocery shops next door. Kitesurfers also have all the needed infrastructure to store their Kitesurf equip.

I developed a rash during my stay. I can’t say for sure whether it came from bedding that hadn’t been cleaned properly or from the plastic mattresses that didn’t let sweat dissipate. The room was also far too hot, and the air conditioning could only be adjusted at reception. If you woke up too warm in the middle of the night, you had to go down to the front desk. I booked through booking.com and posted a similar review there. Later, booking.com emailed to say the hostel had disputed it, claiming I never checked in. I did check in and stay for four nights, so I believe that claim was a lie. To me, that shows how they try to manipulate reviews instead of improving cleanliness. Poor character and management.