Tangier lives!

The beauty of Tanja

In fact, it is a pity to tell too much about a location. After all, the real beauty of travelling lies in the unexpected details, the surprises, and the not be too prepared.

Because then, yes, that monument looks exactly like on that photo we saw, and, yes, in fact everything looks as on the photos, nice, shall we go home now ?

Morocco is par excellence a country to not rush through, to just wander, find yourself lost, take a train, or a tea, or a tea in a train.

And apart from that, Morocco is a treat for the senses : the colours, the smells, the feel of worn off mosaic, the sun on your face... this is its Eifel Tower and Taj Mahal. How can you explain that in a tourist guide ? Make sure you inhale your tea ?

For the pure all is pure ? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ? Let's simply tell you why we ourselves love Tangier:

It's a port town, the main entrance to Morocco and North Africa as a whole, and nowhere in Morocco the street life is so diverse as here. Nowhere you can step so quickly from one atmosphere into the other. Many tourist destinations in the world are visited because of the well kept historical remains. Tangier is living history.

Due to its location there is no aspect of modern life that does not affect Tangier, from migration to smugglers, from the forgotten city of after the International Zone to be a location in the new Bourne movie.

It is the city closest to Spain, and the best place to go for an introduction to Morocco, if only for one day. It has a beach in the centre. But most of all we love the people. Bubbling, dazzling, poor, rich, new, old, coulourful Morocco starts here... in gateway Tangier.

The rise of brandnew 5 star hotels at the beach and the cleaning and construction all over the city will tell you: Tangier is an up and coming destination.

Magical Tangier

"It is my belief that some places are more magical than others", Paul Bowles wrote.

And who can know this better than the writer of The Sheltering Sky, having lived in Tangier until his death in the 1990's.

Paul Bowles was not alone with this opinion; it is a very long one, the list of writers and celebrities that lived in or visited Tangier.

Tangier is rapidly evolving though. Only 5 years ago, this would have been a totally different website. That quick are the changes to Tangier.

In 5 years from now, this website will be totally different as well, filled with pictures of modern glass buildings and luxury hotels. In the mean time, Tangier is "à point".

Rapidly evolving, but still with that little bit extra, a mixture of the modernity of Casablanca and the tradition of Fes.


What to see?

Tangier is a city to just stroll and wander. Have a tea. Go for a couscous or tajine dinner. Visit the shops that are, as they say in Morocco, "a pleasure for the eyes".

If you only have a few hours or a day, then your visit should include the "Terrace of the Lazy" in the New Town, then head for the Place de France, the Small Souk, the Place du 9 Avril 1947, and the souk and the Kasbah behind that square.

In the region you can visit the Caves of Hercules or the white town of Asilah, both at a half an hour taxi drive with a Grand Taxi from Tangier. We do not immediately recommend guided tours, the city being too small to really need to be held by the hand.

Also, often these tours will just take you from one shop to the other, while this is so much nicer to do at your own pace.

By the way, don't forget the beach! One of the few cities with a beach right in the centre.