The Caves of Hercules (Les Grottes d’Hercule) are the arguably star attraction of Tangier. Sixteen kilometers outside the city,…
Tangier
Tangier
Originally a Phoenician trading port, the city of Tangier is built on the slopes of a limestone hill looking over the Mediterranean Sea. The city occupies the northern most point in Morocco and is considered by some to be the gateway to Africa.
Tangier is by far the most international city within the country. Locals speak a mixture of Arabic, French, and Spanish. Gibraltar and Spain are just a ferry ride away.
Open Doors meets guests at the ferry and the airport. Tangier is a strategic place to start or finish a tour as it allows for a north to south sweep of the country, or vice versa.
Recommended Length of Stay: 1/2 to 1 day
In Morocco, it’s possible to see the Atlantic and the Mediterranean at the same time.Tahar Ben Jelloun
Places to visit while here
The Cave of Hercules
The Caves of Hercules (Les Grottes d'Hercule) are the arguably star attraction of Tangier. Sixteen kilometers outside the city, this once-natural cave was expanded by Berber tribes, who are said to have shaped its sea-side entrance as the map of Africa.
The amount of history that took place in this cave is nearly unbelievable. It was inhabited by Neolithic people as early as 6000 BC and declared as a World Heritage Site in 1950. In 1995, the rock group Def Leppard played a concert in the cave as the third part of its Guinness World Record entry.
Cap Malabata
Malabata is a cape located about 9 kilometers east of central Tangier, Morocco, facing the Strait of Gibraltar. The…
Cap Malabata
Malabata is a cape located about nine kilometers east of central Tangier facing the Strait of Gibraltar. The cape features a lighthouse and a medieval-style castle that was built in the early 20th century. The view is beautiful, and on a clear day, you can see Spain.
Cap Spartel
Twelve kilometers west of Tangier, Cap Spartel stands about 1,000 feet above sea level at the entrance to the…
Cap Spartel
Twelve kilometers west of Tangier, Cap Spartel stands about 1,000 feet above sea level at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar.
Once called the Amperlusium Cape, this headland is the farthest northwestern point of Africa, where the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet. The region contains a magnitude of fascinating rock formations eroded naturally over the years.
American Legation Museum
The American Legation Museum is a beautiful structure decorated with paintings. This museum contains a significant amount of legal…
American Legation Museum
The American Legation Museum is a beautiful building decorated with paintings. This museum contains a significant amount of legal documents portraying the long-standing relationship between the US and Morocco. Movie posters and books display the special relationship. Moroccans will often tell their American guests that their sultan was the first to recognize America as an independent country. This is true. There is a letter in the museum written between George Washington and Mohammed Ibn Abdullah, the sultan of Morocco in 1777. Further, the 1787 Treaty of Marrakech known as the “Treaty of Friendship and Amity” between Morocco and the United States is known as one of America’s oldest treaties.
Tangier Kasbah
The Kasbah is a smaller portion of the medina. It’s in the kasbah that you’ll find the most breathtaking…
Tangier Kasbah
The Kasbah is a smaller portion of the medina. It’s in the kasbah that you’ll find the most breathtaking views of the Strait of Gibaltar and Southern Spain.
The Kasbah Museum is located in Dar el-Makhzen, a palace belonging to the former sultan. The museum contains regional artifacts spanning back to prehistoric times, including Roman tools, Arabic mosaics and an ancient map of trade routes.
Just outside the kasbah museum, you’ll find a cafe by the name of Fils de Detroit. It’s here where you’ll find delicious mint tea to enjoy as you listen to local musicians.
Tangier Medina
The medina is the oldest part of the city. Upon walking through the city gates, you encounter meat and…
Tangier Medina
The medina is the oldest part of the city. Upon walking through the city gates, you encounter meat and produce stalls, spice markets, and vendors selling fish, leather, rugs, textiles, silks, clothing, and more. The various sections of the city are divided by ancient arches. The narrow corridors blend from one to another and one can easily become lost (in a good way!) Twice a week, farmers from the outskirts come into the city to roll out tarps on which they sell fruits, vegetables, spices, and flowers.
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