Driving from Jerez de la Frontera to Tarifa

There isn’t much of a difference. The N-340 isn’t right on the coast so you’re not going to be looking at the water most of the trip. The A-381 is further inland and while there are some foothills, unless you wanted to go to Algeciras and backtrack to Tarifa, you’d need to cut down from the A-381 to the N-340 by Medina Sidonia and pick up the N-340 by Vejer de la Frontera. Either road is fine and each will take about the same amount of time.

If you had time and didn’t mind driving very slowly, there is a coastal road part of the way. It would allow you to cut over to the water if you wanted, but it would take significantly longer to get to Tarifa due to slower speed limits.

A beach we enjoyed just before Tarifa is, Playa Punta Paloma. It was very popular with wind surfers. It’s about 1.5 miles off the N-340.

Chiclana is a nice small town. Maybe a place to stop for food or a soft drink? I didn't think Cadiz was worth the visit. It's a very old city, arguably the oldest in this part of Europe. IMO it doesn't show it's age well.

As you head south from Chiclana, you will see my favorite Spanish coast, Costa de la Luz. The area has massive beaches separated by areas of cliffs. There is so much beach and so few people (at least when I was there in April) it almost feels deserted. We stopped at the Roman Baelo-Claudia ruins. It's a relatively small ruin area with a surprisingly nice museum. The cost was negligible.

Both replies very helpful; thank you!