Things to see in Tangier
Things to see in Tangier: Tangier, a significant port city in northern Morocco, is home to almost a million people. Tangier may be seen from Europe’s coast due to the Strait of Gibraltar’s diminutive size, which divides it from Spain’s southern coast.
The Moroccan city of Tangier is typically divided into four sections: the New City; the Malabata neighborhood; and the affluent Montagne neighborhood, which is home to one of the royal residences. The Medina, the city’s historic core, has been preserved with its original buildings and fortifications.
Tangier is a multicultural city in Morocco that is home to many enclaves, the majority of which are European. This is due to its geographic location and rich history.
Tangier is a particularly well-liked tourist destination since it allows you to combine a beach holiday on the Mediterranean coast with learning about the culture of the mysterious Arab country and visiting historical sites.
How to go to Tangier
Numerous transportation options exist for getting to Tangier in Morocco, including ferries, overland vehicles, and airplanes.
While flying
A minor airport located 15 kilometers from the city center is Ibn Battuta Airport in Tangier, Morocco. The airport accepts scheduled flights on both domestic and international routes. The flight takes 8 to 10 hours and connects at Madrid or Barcelona; there are no nonstop flights from Moscow. From Moscow, there are direct flights to Agadir, from whence you can take a bus or rail to Tangier.
From the airport to the hotel, you can either take a taxi or a more practical pre-arranged shuttle. You’ll have to pay 200–250 dirhams for a cab ride (about 25 euros).
The train
There are train stations that connect to Tangier in Morocco in almost every Moroccan city. You may find specific information about departure times and costs on the ONCF website, which is maintained by Morocco’s national train company (Office National des Chemins de Fer du Maroc). Because strict timetables are uncommon in Morocco, it is best to get to the station earlier rather than later because the train might depart considerably earlier but might also create a delay.
In 4 hours and for about 100 dirhams, a train may take you from Rabat, the capital of the nation, to Tangier, Morocco.
Two train stations may be found in Tangier:
- The city’s center is Tanger Ville.
- Mr. Chang Morora
By bus
There are bus connections between all of the major cities in Morocco. As a result, you may take an intercity bus to Tangier, Morocco, from any city.
Intercity buses arrive at the Tangier bus terminal, which is located right opposite to the Souria Mosque in the middle of the city.
The ferry
From Spain, France, and Italy, there are ferries that go to Tangier. From the Spanish city of Tarifa, the hour-long boat trip across the strait costs between 35 and 40 euros.
Tangier’s best times for naps
Things to see in Tangier: For a beach holiday in Tangier, it is better to hold off until May. May is a sunny month, and the sea gets to a lovely temperature. Around the end of September and the beginning of October, the swimming season slowly draws to an end, the sea cools, and the weather becomes windy. Tangier does not allow swimming in the winter, but the time of year is great for sightseeing, long walks, bike rides, and museum visits. Due to how much less expensive things are in the fall and winter, you might significantly reduce the cost of your trip.
Areas that are tamer. an apartment
Two types of travelers to Tangier can be identified:
- The city’s ancient district is known as Medina, where tourists may meander through narrow streets lined with modest houses and explore the Kasbah, a former military stronghold. In Medina, you can stay at a modest privately owned hotel or guesthouse.
- The Ville Nouvelle Cultural Center is located by the sea, between Avenue Mohammed VI and Avenue Mohammed V. Ville Nouvelle’s core, where you can walk to the beach and find all the services, is the best place to live. You can hire a hotel room or an apartment.
Tangier’s coastline
Tangier Beach is a public beach that stretches the length of the city from the harbor to the Malabat neighborhood’s hotel zone. There is always space and it never gets crowded because the beach is so long and wide. Although rental umbrellas and chairs are offered during the peak tourist season, the beach is essentially devoid of infrastructure, such as restrooms and changing rooms. There are soccer fields, beach volleyball courts, and camel rides available. The shore is lined with a lot of hotels, cafes, restaurants, and stores. The municipal beach typically has a line of locals. It is not advisable to lounge on the beach wearing a bikini and a topless bra because Morocco is a Muslim country with strict restrictions. Additionally, bathing costumes are not allowed outside of beaches. It’s crucial to abide by the rules and laws of another nation.
A small, isolated sandy beach known as Merkala Beach is located in a ravine west of the harbor. A cab is accessible from the center.
A village on the Atlantic Ocean outside of the city called Achakar is 12–15 kilometers from Tangier. On the weekends, a large number of residents visit this untamed, stunning, remote beach. Excellent, fine sand is present. Across from the beach, there are a ton of restaurants with canopies where you can get affordable food. The most effective means of travelling from Tangier to the beach is by taxi. It takes about 15-20 minutes and costs 10 dirhams each person. They keep leaving their cars parked in the vicinity of the Garden of Iberia.
Getting around Tangier
Things to see in Tangier: Cab
The cab is Tangier’s most practical form of transportation. Compact, turquoise-colored cars are driven by the biggest of the city’s taxi businesses, Petit Taxi. The automobiles have meters, so a trip won’t cost more than 20 dirhams at the most and no less than 5 dirhams at any other site within the city. The driver may take on an additional passenger if the direction remains the same. Only three people can ride in such small cars.
Grand Taxi is another taxi company that operates on pre-owned Mercedes vehicles. The fare in such a cab is considerably more than in tiny autos. The good news is that such an automobile might seat six or eight passengers. Consequently, a major firm may profit from it much more.
Things to see in Tangier: Buses
Morocco’s Tangier has a fairly advanced bus system. There are frequent ALSA buses that may be used to travel anywhere in Tangier’s city and neighboring areas. 3.5 dirhams is the price. In addition, it will cost 4 dirhams to take a walk minibus, which runs on some routes in place of buses.
Things to see in Tangier
Even though Tangier, Morocco, doesn’t have many attractions, its immensity will appeal to travelers who prefer making lengthy excursions across unfamiliar regions.
Things to see in Tangier: Medina
It is a maze of quaint, twisting streets with small, clustered buildings.
- Ibn Battouta, the most well-known Moroccan traveler of the 14th century, whose tomb can be located here (Tombeau d’Ibn Battouta), is honored by having the Tangier airport bear his name. He was born in Tangier and traveled the world during his life.
- the Grand Souk, a marketplace in the city where you may purchase local fare, including meals, fruits, spices, cosmetics, clothing, shoes, and souvenirs.
- The Kasbah Fortress, a defensive building, was built by the Portuguese in the 18th century atop Tangier’s highest point. A thick, impassable wall completely encircles the fortification. Within the defenses are a mosque and the sultan’s palace.
- The Kasbah fortress may be reached by the famed Bab el Assa gate, which was built when Portugal was in charge. The Iberian Peninsula and Gibraltar are seen from an observation platform that is immediately adjacent to the gate.
- On Kasbah Square, the Kasbah Museum, also known as the Musée de la Kasbah, is surrounded by the Sultan’s garden. A one dirham admission fee is required.
- Moroccan Art and Antiquities Museum (Musée des Arts Marocains et des Antiquités).
Things to see in Tangier: St. Andrew’s Church
an Anglican church built in the 19th century for Tangier’s English citizens. The majestic building incorporates both Christian and Moorish architectural elements. The interior of the dome is ornamented with verses from the Gospel in a manner akin to that of a mosque. You can visit the church and have a good look at it when there aren’t any services.
A palace called Dar el Makhzen
Things to see in Tangier: In Tangier’s central plaza stands the palace, a historic white building with carved thin columns and arches in the Arabian style. Mosaics line the palace’s interior walls, which are covered in oriental motifs. There are gorgeous marble fountains and Moroccan-style tiles covering the floor and ceiling. Right near to the Dar el-Mahzen Palace are the Sultan’s Palace and a personal mosque. The palace-museum houses a sizable collection of traditional clothing, vintage rugs, arms, and domestic relics.
Things to see in Tangier: Big Mosque
This mosque, the primary one still in operation in Tangier, Morocco, is marked by a tall tower that is visible from almost anywhere in the city. The site where the mosque presently stands was not picked at random; it was once home to a Roman Hercules temple, a Catholic church, and is now a mosque.
Things to see in Tangier: The Forest of Mendoubia
an old park that’s in the north of the city. In the well-maintained park, there are many different kinds of trees, exotic flowers, and roses. The dragon tree, the park’s main tree and reputedly older than 800 years, is where the spirit of a perverse Tangier monarch from the 13th century is claimed to be buried.
Things to see in Tangier: Square Socco in Grand
It is the major square in Tangier, and on Thursdays and Sundays, it is home to the biggest market there, which attracts buyers and vendors from all over the city and its vicinity. In 1947, the Sultan made a proclamation urging the people to fight for their independence in this region.
Historic American Buildings Museum
Things to see in Tangier: On Rue d’Amerique, close to the Old Town, is where Tangier’s museums and cultural center are located. In 1821, Sultan Moulay Salaiman gave the structure to James Monroe, the fifth American president. This museum is the sole national monument of the United States that is located abroad. Previously, the building housed the American Consulate.
View historical letters, maps, and photographs in the museum to learn more about how the United States influenced Moroccan history. Exhibitions of contemporary Moroccan art are staged in different spaces. Academic conferences and award ceremonies for government grants are commonly held here. In addition to the 20 dirham entrance price, a guided tour costs 50 dirhams.
The former British Consulate now houses the (Musee d’Art Moderne) Museum of Modern Art. There are halls filled with modern Moroccan artists’ works.
Things to see in Tangier: Grand Villa Hotel France
For fans of Impressionism, a must-see. During a trip to Tangier, Henri Matisse slept at this hotel. “Vista from the Window,” one of his paintings. Tangier in Morocco,” he captioned the scene outside his hotel room window. This area has been transformed into a tiny museum that is open to anyone. To enter, you must ask for an escort at the front desk.
Eating out in Tangier
Things to see in Tangier: Tangier offers traditional oriental cuisine for you to try, just like any other Moroccan city. For those who don’t like it, there are restaurants and cafes that serve standard fast food.
The most popular Moroccan food recipes are:
Couscous is a stew made of meat, vegetables, and sauce with grains like wheat, rice, or millet.
A stew made of meat and vegetables is cooked in a specific earthenware pot called a tagine, which has a tall lid. You can try tagine in numerous places, but it will always taste different because each chef prepares it in a distinct way.
Chorba soup is made by combining a variety of herbs with chicken stock.
A thick, scalding meal called harira is created with beans, spices, and lamb broth.
Fast food establishments most typically serve burgers, pizza, shawarma, French fries, and paninis. After a meal, Moroccans frequently drink mint tea or coffee.
Things to see in Tangier: purchases
Things to see in Tangier: In Tangier, you may purchase almost anything you need, including food, clothing and shoes, household goods, and souvenirs, at one of the many small, independently owned boutiques and businesses.
Among Tangier’s major chain hypermarkets, there are three Acima stores and two Marjane stores.
MEGARAMA, a big contemporary shopping center, is located across from the train station. Along with a grocery, children’s play area, movie theater, and dining area, it also has a variety of clothes, shoe, and cosmetics stores. Due to the influx of inhabitants on weekends, the mall is incredibly busy.
The main market, which is located in the Medina and features a large variety of goods, draws traders from all around Tangier and the surrounding area.
Casabarata is a different market in Tangier and is accessible via bus or cab from the city center. Here, you may buy groceries, local spices, sweets, cosmetics, home goods, and novelties. You may peruse a wide selection of intriguing oriental handicrafts at the Tangier Flea Market, another Casabarata.
Although it is forbidden to drink alcohol in Tangier’s streets and public areas, it is nonetheless available there in supermarkets and small businesses.
What to take while traveling from Tangier
Moroccan arts and crafts, including ethnic apparel, handbags, scarves, rugs, ceramic dishes, native cosmetics, confections, and spices, are typically brought home or given as gifts. All of these can be bought in Tangier, even though it might not have the greatest selection, best value, or finest quality. For leather goods, go to well-known cities like Marrakech or Fez.
Tangier-produced goods
- The most sought-after Moroccan ceramic products include mint teapots, tajines with high lids, and plates and dishes in a range of colors, styles, and sizes. Produced and embellished with vibrant geometric patterns are ceramics with Arabic and Berber designs.
- From Tangier, you can bring a package of spiced tea and coffee as well as Moroccan cookies.
- The unique long, narrow Moroccan shoes are known as babushi. With Moroccan embossed leather, they are hand-stitched.
- The jeloba, the nation’s traditional clothing, is adorned with beadwork, embroidery, and sewing.
- Moroccan cosmetics are popular both domestically and abroad and are created from natural ingredients. Glycerine soaps, aromatic oils, and argan oil should all be taken into consideration.
- Most of Morocco’s carpets are made by the Berbers, a Saharan native population. The skill of making carpets is typically passed down via families, so it is often a technique that is taught to new generations. Women do everything by hand, including shearing camels and sheep, winding thread, and actual weaving.
- Coral, amber, pearls, silver, and gold are all used in jewelry. It is best to buy such jewelry from specialized stores rather than markets to avoid dealing with scam artists and fakes.
- Leather is used for clothing, accessories, belts, and footwear. The largest selection of leather goods may be found in Fez.
- openwork Moroccan fixtures They are made of leather, metal, and colorful glass.
In Tangier, safety
Things to see in Tangier: Morocco’s usual reputation for safety extends to Tangier as well. However, you shouldn’t offend people by flaunting your riches, jewelry, or other pricey possessions. When travelling to the beach, try not to pack a lot of cash. Particularly in the Medina, girls shouldn’t venture out alone on evening strolls.
If you require assistance, ask the calm machine gun patrols that are stationed on the town’s beach and in its medina.
Sometimes beggars act aggressively on the beach or near the town’s historic area. You might interrupt him in this scenario by using the Arabic term “safi,” which means “enough is enough.” Say “aled!” (à l’aide! in French) to summon assistance in an emergency.