Tangier

About Tangier

This colourful and relaxed port city lies at Morocco’s northern tip. Its carefree café culture first put it on the map for Westerners in the 1950s - and holidaymakers have been coming here ever since. Its lavish palaces and magical medinas form the perfect backdrop for sipping traditional mint tea and pavement-side people watching.

In more recent years, the city’s central riads have been transformed into tourist accommodation, so you’ll find lots of affordable places to stay with an authentic Tangier feel. If you’re plumping for luxury, there are more opulent options surrounded by palm trees, olive groves, and fruit trees.

You can spend hours getting pleasantly lost in the medina, Tangier’s Old Town, while wandering through the labyrinth of white buildings, intense blue doors, colourful staircases, and vibrant bougainvillea. In the souks you’ll find fragrant spices piled high, traditional babouche slippers, locally grown olives, and fresh khobz bread.

The Grand Socco is a palm-fringed plaza with a big central fountain. For the best views, climb the steps across from the police station, to where locals call La Terrasee, and the otherworldly atmosphere makes it hard not to feel like you’re on a movie set. To the south, you’ll find Cinema Rif, one of Tangier’s brightest cultural attractions with its own café decorated with vintage film posters.

You’ll find lots of authentic cafés serving hearty tagines, cooked with chicken or lamb, and flavoured with almonds, garlic, signature spice blends and olive oil. Make sure you pop into Gran Central Café for a cup of its famous Moroccan mint tea. This iconic location in the heart of the medina dates back to 1813 and forms an important part of Tangier’s bohemian history. Many famous authors wrote here, and it was a key meeting place for spies in World War Two.

If you want to step out of the city, Dalia Beach is easy to reach. Here you’ll find fine white sand and emerald sea, ideal for both sun-worshipping and water sports. The coastline is packed with cafés, restaurants, and bars too. For a romantic evening stroll, head west to the lighthouse of Cap Spartel, which is surrounded by a leafy nature reserve, and watch the sunset over the waters of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.