Tangier


 * See also Tangier (Virginia).

Tangier (Ar. طنجة, Tanjah, Fr. Tanger) is an important port city in Morocco. The third most populous city in the country, it's a popular entry point to Morocco and Africa as a whole due to its proximity to Spain, and an interesting destination in its own right.

Understand


"Tangier is more New York than New York … Then you must see how alike the two places are. The life revolves wholly about the making of money."

- Paul Bowles (1910-1999)

Tangier is a fascinating Moroccan city to visit. It has many of the things that travellers love&mdash;a sense of exotic mystery, interesting history, beautiful vistas, unspoiled beaches, and friendly people. It is an interesting mix of the cultures of north Africa, Spain, and France and indeed has a very international history, and has traditionally been home to people from several different cultures. At the beginning of the 20th century, for instance, a quarter of the city's population were Europeans and another quarter Jewish.

Founded sometime in the 5th century BCE, Tangier has been part of all major empires in the region throughout history. During the last centuries major European powers have contested for the city at the southern bank of the Strait of Gibraltar in order to gain control over the traffic between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. This game even brought France and Germany to the brink of war in 1905. Deemed too important to be controlled by a single country, it was under joint international control from 1925 to 1956 (during that period known as the Tangier International Zone). During World War II and the Cold War it was also a major center for spying activities by major powers, as well as a playground for gamblers, crooks and millionaires. Also, several Western cultural personalities such as William S. Burroughs, George Orwell, Henri Matisse and the rock band Rolling Stones have spent some time in Tangier. The American author Paul Bowles lived there for most of his life.

Today the city with a little less than a million inhabitants is the third largest city in Morocco, an important port, center of industry and a popular destination for daytrippers. Frequent ferries make the short crossing from Europe each day, and many cruise ships sailing between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic often include Tangier as a port of call. The Spanish coastline, 30 km away can be seen unless there's haze or fog.

Quite appropriately, Tangier is the birthplace of Ibn Battuta, considered by many to be one of the greatest travellers of all time and on a level with the Venetian Marco Polo. This Berber visited most of the known world at that time including most African regions north of Uganda and Eurasia as far as China.

Climate
The northwest of Morocco is the wettest part of the country. Compared to the south of the country, the summers are milder and the winters can be relatively cold. Facing the Atlantic directly, temperatures in Tangier are usually even a couple degrees cooler than at the Spanish side of the strait.

Notable districts

 * Medina — the old town of Tangier is quite compact compared to the likes in other Moroccan cities. Still, it's easy to lose your orientation in its labyrinths of alleys. Landmarks include the Grand Mosque and several souks (markets).
 * Kasbah — the northwestern part of the medina is made up of the Kasbah or fortification. The main building here is the Dar el-Makhzen that has served as residence for sultans and European colonial lords. Today it is a museum.
 * Ville Nouvelle — the new city around Boulevard Pasteur is the commercial center of Tangier. Though not an attraction in any sense, it's where to go to find banks, cafés, modern shops and such.

By plane
Tangier receives flights from the largest cities in Western Europe and Morocco, most of them operated by budget carriers like RyanAir and AirArabia.

Getting there/away: no public transport available. Grand taxis depart from the arrivals exit, with fixed prices per destination&mdash;price for a full taxi (so consider arranging a group to share it beforehand)... day 05:30–22:30, night 22:30–05:30 (as of Dec 2023):
 * Tangier city center: 100/150 dirham; Tangier train station: 120/180 dirham; port of Tangier Med: 300/450 dirham
 * Asilah: 200/300 dirham
 * Tetouan: 350/525 dirham
 * Larache: 350/525 dirham

Cheaper options:
 * Take a grand taxi to Asilah (20 dirham) or Gueznaia and exit when the road goes off to the airport (it's signposted). It’s a 1.8-km walk from there on a not-too-ugly road. Coming from the airport, a grand taxi running into Tanger can be easily caught at the crossing. Local buses run on the main road so it should be possible to catch one at the junction (N1-airport).
 * Take a petit taxi or local bus to the university in Boukhalef (Faculty Science And Technology). From there it is 2.5 km to the airport. There is no sidewalk and for a short part, no houses, but seems well transited and people walk on the sides. Petit taxis from the university to the airport are 30 dirham. Also, buses 1, 2, and 20 go to the university in Boukhalef
 * If you are coming by coach from the south: Rabat, Casablanca, ask the driver to drop you at the N1-airport junction, or in Boukhalef and walk or take a petit taxi.

For more international connections you may also consider the airports of Rabat or Casablanca. From there you can take a high-speed train or intercity bus to Tangier.

By train
The country has an excellent railway system with 1,893 km (1,176 mi) of track and a fine intercity passenger service. In 2018 a high-speed rail service opened between Tangier and Casablanca, via Kenitra and Rabat. Travel times have been greatly reduced with a full length trip taking just over two hours. Regular intercity trains are available from Oujda, Fez and Meknès amongst others. A convenient way of travelling to and from Marrakesh is by using the overnight train, taking just under 10 hours. The train offers both couchettes and sleepers. All trains in Morocco are operated by ONCF, online ticketing are available.

If travelling from Europe, there are trains from several cities in southern Spain to Algeciras, across the Gibraltar Strait.



By bus
Tangier, as it's typical for Morocco, has two long distance bus stations: CTM one exclusively for CTM buses and Gare routière serving all other bus companies. Supratours coaches depart from the train station making them a convenient option in case the next leg involves travel by train.

By boat


There are two ferry lines from Spain: Tarifa–Tangier and Algeciras–Tangier Med. Another option would be Algeciras–Ceuta route. Tickets for foot passengers generally cost around €40 single/€70 return (as of Jun 2023).

If travelling as a foot passenger from Algeciras to Tangier, it is usually more convenient to take a connecting bus to Tarifa (see below) and then a ferry from there to Tangier Ville port rather than a direct ferry from Algeciras to Tangier Med port, which is miles away from Tangier.


 * Tarifa–Tangier Ville. There are two companies operating this line: FRS and Intershipping. There is not much of a difference, crossing always takes about one hour. The number of departures vary during the year, in the summer FRS has five departures in each direction, Intershipping ten. However, during major holidays and summer weekends, it can get really busy and chaotic in the ports. At that time there is reportedly even a risk that you don't get on the ferry you've reserved a ticket for, but have to wait for a later one. If you are coming from Algeciras, there is a free shuttle bus to Tarifa included in the ticket. (The shuttle bus departs in front of the ticket offices in Algeciras harbour.)
 * is beside the medina, and a few hundred metres from the ville nouvelle.
 * Getting there/away: The government has been partially successful in reducing the number of touts, money changers, taxi drivers and fake guides hassling people. Nevertheless, expect to be talked into something. Make sure to look like you know where you're going, politely refuse any offers of help or ignore the fake guides completely. The taxi rank is inside the port area where you are likely to be mobbed by requests from many drivers. There is no queuing system: just take the taxi which you have agreed a fare with and are comfortable with. The blue coloured petit taxis are substantially cheaper and used more by locals and are preferable to the cream coloured grande taxis who are mostly unmetered. Be sure to fix the total prize (not per person) before departing and haggle!
 * Algeciras–Tangier Med. Operated by Intershipping, twice daily, €22, tickets can only be bought at Algeciras terminal (i.e. no online ticketing).
 * Motril (port close to Malaga and Granada) — Tangier Med route operated by Balearia, once daily, 8 hrs.
 * If you're coming from further north, GNV sails from Genoa with a stopover in Barcelona to Tangier Med, the cheapest ticket is €120 from Genoa one-way (as of Jan 2023).
 * Besides, there is an irregular (no more than 2 departures per month) passenger service from Gibraltar to Tangier Med operated by FRS, 1:30 h, €37.50 (as of Jan 2023).
 * Ferries from Algeciras with Tangier as their destination do not sail to the port in Tangier city, but instead to the about 40 km further east, which requires an additional 45–60 minutes ride. Note that almost all trucks crossing the strait will use this line instead of the Tarifa–Tangier line, which is more popular with tourists.
 * Getting to Tangier Med port:
 * By local bus from Tangier, 7 dirham (as of Sep 2022). The blue Alsa bus, numbered I-3, makes its first trip outbound from Tanger Ville station around 06:30 and its last inbound trip from Tanger Med at around 22:00, no precise timetable exists, departures roughly every hour. Buses are not available later at night, if you arrive late, you will need to get a grand taxi. Besides, there is an intercity bus connecting Tangier with Fnideq (Moroccan town close to the border with Ceuta), which passes Tangier Med, 10 departures daily. Tangier Med's bus stop is a white shelter without signs on the main road about 400 meters from the ferry terminal.
 * By grand taxi. Grand taxis inside the port charge 300 dirham per car. If you want a cheaper ride walk instead onto the main road towards Tangier, where the standard price is 30 dirham per seat (as of November 2022), or up to double that late at night.
 * Algeciras–Ceuta. Yet another alternative would be crossing from Algeciras to Ceuta and overland into Morocco. Prices are similar to the Tangier Ville and Tangier Med routes.

By car or motorcycle
When coming into Tangier by car, be careful of hustlers on motorbikes who will ride alongside you and attempt all manner of dodginess.

You can come by car by ferry from Algeciras and Tarifa in Spain or through the Spanish enclave of Ceuta (reached by ferry from Algeciras and ports in Spain). The ferry crossing varies from 1 hour to 3 hours. Shortest and cheapest will be from Tarifa to Tangier taking around 40 min. Tarifa is probably the most laid-back option as far as ports are concerned.

If you're coming from more southern parts of the country, take the toll highway from Rabat which is in a good shape.

Get around


Tangier is very easy to navigate around; the two main roads are Boulevard Mohammed V which runs from near the Medina through the ville nouvelle and Boulevard Mohammed VI (formerly Ave des FAR) which runs along from the beachfront from the port to Malabata. The exception is the Medina (old town), a complex array of alleyways some of which can only be accessed on foot. Mohammed V has a whole range of clothes shops, pharmacies and cafes as well as Hotel Flandria, Hotel Rembrandt. Hotel El Minzah lies just off this road. Mohammed VI runs along the beach front where you will find numerous hotels (Rif, Ramada, Sherezade, Solazure, Tariq, Movenpick), bars, discos, restaurants and cafes. Most hostels are on the roads heading uphill near the port area and in the Medina.

On foot
Walking is perhaps the best way to see the relatively compact Tangier. In the old town it's also the only way to get around, although you will occasionally encounter locals speeding on scooters along the narrow and bumpy alleys.

By car
The speed limit in the city is 40 km/h. The traffic can be quite busy and chaotic with not only all kinds of vehicles but also pedestrians on the lanes. However, there is also a heavy police presence supervising and directing the traffic, often replacing traffic lights. You should better have some familiarity with Tangier before driving yourself in the city, there are usually not many opportunities to stop and look where you should be going.

At many places there are official car guards (carrying a badge) who help you park and will watch over your vehicle for a fee.

By taxi


There are two types of taxis in Tangier. Grands taxis are cream-coloured mini-vans. Petits taxis are regular cars, painted turquoise. Petit taxis are common, but if the vehicle you want to take has no meter make sure you agree on a price first, and haggle! Grand taxis are also called "taxi collectif" and depart from stations when full (6 people). At stations, grand taxis have fixed prizes. However, they can also be waved down on the street (if they have any free spot), in which case the prize should be discussed before departing.

Most locals in Tangier will be unfamiliar with what we call the ville nouvelle. To help with agreeing fares and generally with navigating using taxis—the central main thoroughfare is simply known as the "Boulevard", the beach area as "Playa", the port as "Marsa", the medina as "souk barra", the hilly area to the west of Tangier with the Golf Course and Race Track as "California", the residential area heading towards the main road to Tetouan as "Idrissia", the thieves market as "Casa Barata".

For trips outside city borders, you have to take a grand taxi–petit taxis are not allowed to take you there.

A return day excursion by private grand taxi to Chefchaouen is €50–100, and your driver will wait for you in Chefchaouen until you've finished. However, you can also just wait for a grand taxi to fill up with locals and save substantial money.

By bus
Virtually all points of interest are located in or near the old town within walking distance from each other. If you wish to go elsewhere in the city and don't want to take a taxi, your other option is public bus (network map ). A ticket for a ride on the green city buses costs 3.5 dirham as of April 2016. Some bus lines run very infrequently (more than two hours between buses).

See


Tangier is a city where there are rather few individual sights. Instead, the whole city can be considered one single big sight. Take a simple walk along the beach (Ave Mohamed VI) to enjoy what the city is famed for. In the you can see fishing boats bringing in fresh fish everyday. There are also restaurants serving very fresh fish. Moreover, here you can also see the frequent fast ferries arriving from and departing to Tarifa.

The medina
The, ie. the old town is probably Tangier's biggest attraction. Its narrow streets and many businesses are a quite interesting experience. You will very likely get lost, though. Also, be aware that both touts on the street and shopkeepers are very eager at selling you everything from fezzes and bracelets to mats and fake Rolexes (also see the stay safe section below).

Landmarks in the medina include Grand Mosquee, the nearby petit souk and the fortress (Kasbah).



Grand Socco and nearby




Elsewhere and around the city

 * Caves of Hercules near Tanger, Morocco.jpg
 * Caves of Hercules near Tanger, Morocco.jpg

Do


Walk around the city. Get happily lost in the medina, which is most active in evening and night. Alternatively walk along Boulevard Pasteur with its view to the sea from Terrasse des Paresseux or the beachfront Avenue Mohammed VI and in the port area and look at the fishermen bringing in their catch. When walking around, there are plenty of opportunities for shopping, described in the next section.

For nice views of the city and the seas, head to the aforementioned Terrasse des Paresseux, Kasbah or to the famous Café Hafa in the Drink section.


 * Football:
 * Football:

Buy


The medina is full of small shops, though beware that some of them are tourist traps and salesmen are seemingly outright desperate to get you to buy stuff in which you are not interested. Much of the brasswork is made in other towns but is available here. Leather goods are also available. Stay away from the tourist traps and you may find the price quite agreeable. Colourful leather slippers, men's and women's clothing can be reasonable priced. When shopping here, bargaining is essential as there are no fixed prices. It is advisable to negotiate prices in dirham rather than euros.



There are other markets notably the souk in the medina (mainly vegetables, clothes and tourist items) and in Ben Mekada (vegetables). The latter does not cater for tourists and is known as one of the "rough spots" of Tangier and, where, in the 1980s, there were bread riots.

Eat


There are restaurants serving most major cuisines in Tangier. Though while you're here, why not try out the specialties of Maghreb; different types of tagines (stews) and couscous as well as mint tea?

In the morning a "locals" cafe will give you a cafe au lait for 5 dirham. (Cafes where tourists congregate will charge you 10 dirham.) Usually there is a bread vendor at the cafe (by the port or the madina) who will serve you bread with cheese and honey for another 5 dirham. It's perfectly okay to buy your bread/breakfast elsewhere and eat it outside at the cafe. If the bread guy is next to the cafe the waiter will often collect.

You may quickly bore of tagines and street food is a great option for snacking throughout the day. Fresh orange juice costs about 5 dirham; sandwiches of egg, peppers, and sauce are about 10 dirham. Yogurt mixtures can be particularly creative, such as avocado and almonds, or fruit mixtures. Tiny stalls in the souk sell cooked vegetables like eggplant, with rice, and other tasty treats and a meal there can cost 10 dirham or so. In the early evening you may find squares of chickpea cakes sprinkled with salt and paprika.

In the evening, go to the plaza next to CTM bus station. There are several cafes and restaurants facing the plaza. The price and services are good because of the keen competition. Just wandering around in the medina will bring you across numerous Moroccan restaurants offering similar dishes, quality, and prices (main dish around 7 dollars), so you can basically just choose one at random and probably be satisfied.

Vegetarians will find plenty to eat in Tangier and Morocco in general, but vegetarian tagines can become boring after a couple of days and often contain lamb stock. Street food is a lot more creative and fun. If you've brought a camping stove, shop at the souk and make your own. Though, do remember to wash the fruits well. Or you can opt for pizza, Chinese or Indian all of which are available in Tangier.

Tap water isn't dangerous, but for visitors it is much safer (and inexpensive) to drink bottled water.

Budget
There are some fresh off-the-boat seafood restaurants for locals in the port behind the warehouses. At the port entrance, walk towards the water and keep to the right. It's on the docks towards the farthest point out behind some buildings; all outdoor seating for the most part. Order a tray of shrimp, a (big) salad and the calamari and fish tray. No menus or prices but it's quite inexpensive and authentic. For about 60 dirham you will get a serving of fish and seafood for one person that could easily feed two, including salad, bread and beverages.

Many cafes also serve snacks and many bars on the beachfront serve tapas. Also, some familiar global fast food brands have restaurants in Tangier.

Splurge
Many of the luxury hotels, including the iconic Hotel Continental, offer a good selection of both Moroccan and continental fare, though at prices much higher than what you will find elsewhere. There are also many restaurants along the Ave Mohamed VI (the beachfront) where one can enjoy a nice meal with a glass of wine on the beachfront.

Drink
There are many places in Tangier to drink. Much depends on the current owner who tends to give the place a certain ambiance. Popular bars/discos with foreign (and local) clientele include Casa Pepe, Sable D'or, Morocco Palace, Marco Polo (popular with truck drivers) and hotel bars such as Ramada and El Minzah.

You could opt for a coffee, and there are no shortage of cafes; some of which are the best in the country. Some have amazing views (cafe Hafa), some good coffee, some are popular (cafe Tropicana, cafe Celine Dion), some with music (cafe in the Dawliz complex), some have good cakes (cafe Oslo), some are places to relax after a hard day shopping (cafe Madam Porte, cafe Vienna), and some are rather sleazy.

Fresh fruit juices are sold by street vendors during the summer months. The cafes also serve fresh fruit juices and often have wpanache, a delicious mix of fruit juices often with milk, apple and almond.

Sleep


There are plenty of hotels to choose from in all categories. Rates may vary depending on the season. Many riads (traditional Moroccan mansions) nowadays function as hotels, with nightly rates around 300–500 D. These can be found mostly in the medina.

Budget
There is an enormous number of small hotels and hostels in or near the medina, nightly rates are 50 - 300 dirham. At these establishments, showers and toilets are communal and hot water costs extra. There are also a lot of small hotels at the port, which is walking distance to both the medina and the new city. To find these little hotels you exit the port of Tangiers and in about 100 m you'll see the Hotel Biarritz (white with hand-lettering in blue). Turn right up the rutted, dirty little alleyway next to it (yes, this is a street) and wind your way uphill to find several small hotels off the main drag on the unmarked Avenue Magellan.



Stay safe


Generally, central Tangier is a very safe city compared with many places in Europe though this does not necessarily apply to the suburbs. The only trouble you may encounter are the persistent touts whom you should ignore, or the con-men ready to fleece you (by trying to chat up to you then sometimes offer to smoke hashish), and you will encounter these almost exclusively in the medina. There are policemen everywhere and you will probably feel safer than at home. Tangier is generally safe for lone women.

Dressing like a local will help you blend in and get good reception from merchants, who will often quote you actual prices instead of inflated tourist prices. There are lots of expats in this city that speak Spanish first, then English and then French. A polite no thank you and then simply ignoring touts does get rid of them.

This is not the case if you are visiting Tangier as part of a tour (e.g. a day tour from Costa del Sol or a cruise excursion). In this case, as of May 2015, the souvenir touts are going to follow your group during the whole time you're in the medina. Yes, they may have interesting looking stuff for sale, but if you buy anything from anyone of them it will mark you as an easy target and the other ten touts in the gang will surround you until you get back on the tour bus. Save your shopping for the shops, which you will stop at. They are also eager to get to sell you something, but they do at least have a larger selection and won't follow you along.

If you are lost in the medina, you can easily find your way out by going uphill (souk/English church/Nouvelle Village) or down (port). Children and young men may ask you for money to lead you out (a couple of dirams), or to the Cafe Central, but if you are asked if you are lost and do not want help, say "Yes, but happily," and usually that gets a laugh and solitude.

When arriving via ferry from Spain, be aware that con men will await you at the harbour and offer you help filling in the immigration sheet (or just do it unquestioned) or advise you where you would get some tasty local food (and then of course expect a majestic tip). They can be quite persistent. Best not to talk to them at all.

Also, check the current exchange rate when you need to change euros. Don't simply trust the rate that locals tell you (even if different people confirm the same rate).

Go next

 * Asilah — Town at the ocean with a splendid white medina and a lots of beaches, 20 km south. Grand taxi 50 dirham, bus 11 dirham.
 * Larache — A lively and non-touristy town 85 km to the south featuring beaches and the Phoenician-Roman ruins of Lixus at the estuary of river Loukkos.
 * Chefchaouen — Some 120 km southeast. This is a traditional Rif mountain village with blue and white houses surrounded by beautiful forested countryside.
 * Tetouan — The other major city in the region, 60 km to the southeast. It has what some people call the prettiest medina of the country, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The coast further east features sand beaches, resorts and good diving.
 * Ceuta — 65 km northeast, this is a Spanish enclave on the African mainland. The road there passes Jbel Musa which in antiquity was known as one of the Pillars of Hercules (the other one was the Rock of Gibraltar)
 * Mainland Spain — You can buy train, bus and ferry tickets at the stations and ports listed above, although you may find it easier to purchase ferry tickets from travel agents rather than face the gauntlet of touts at the port. If you plan on leaving by ferry, it is important to note that the ferries from Tanger Med to Algeciras often do not follow a set schedule, and departure times can change even within a day of having purchased tickets. One alternative is to take a fast ferry to Tarifa, because these are more likely to run on time and at least one of the companies provides a free bus to the port at Algeciras. You can also flag grand taxis at the major bus stations and ferry port. If you're leaving Morocco, spend or exchange your dirham to another currency first. Legally, you may not bring out more than 1000 dirham, and you will probably not be able to exchange them abroad.
 * Otherwise, buses and trains take you south to other major cities in Morocco such as Rabat, Marrakech and Casablanca.