Last updated on February 4th, 2021

Visit Tangier Beach

Tangier Beach, © Can Stock Photo / megastocker

Visit Tangier – See the Sights

  • The Medina is a maze of narrow streets between the harbor and the Kasbah.Walk along the beach at Avenue Mohamed VI, the Terrasse des Paresseux or the Boulevard Pasteur. Spend time at Tangier Beach. The Grand Socco was once a market and is now a large public square below the Kasbah at the entrance gate to the Medina.
  • The Kasbah is the old fort, located high on a hill. Catch views of the city and also see Spain across the strait in the distance.
  • Casabarata Market – See colorful Rif mountain women selling goods. Visit Thursday and Sunday mornings for the busier souk days.
  • Dar el Makhzen, the former Sultan’s Palace and gardens now houses the Kasbah Museum of Moroccan Art Palace and Phoenician artifacts.
  • The tomb of Ibn Battouta, a 14th century famous traveller who was born in Tangier.
Tangier Bay from the Kasbah, Visit Tangier, Morocco

Tangier Bay & the Kasbah, © Can Stock Photo / christinegates

Visit Tangier – More Sights

  • Visit the American Legation Museum in the walled city.
  • Visit the lighthouse at Cape Spartel, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean.
  • Mnar Park – aquatic park northeast of town, with views of the coast.
  • Hercules Cave – The outline of the Hercules Cave entrance is said to form the shape of the continent of Africa. The cave is 15 minutes west of Tangier.
  • Try a Four Hour Tour: Visit the Kasbah, old Medina, the Minaret, Cape Spartel and Hercules Caves.
Medina, Visit Tangier

Medina, Tangier, © Can Stock Photo / Aguaviva

Tangier Weather

Tangier weather is influenced by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. The Tangier weather is not nearly as hot as Marrakech in the summer and has more than twice as much rainfall in the winter. The height of summer extends from July to September, with average highs of 83 F (28 C), while average lows during this period are 66 F (19 C). It rarely rains in summer.

During the winter months from December – February, average highs are 63 F (17 C), while average lows are 48 F (9 C). November – February have significantly more rainfall than the rest of Africa. July and August are excellent months to visit Tangier.

Cape Spartel Lighthouse, Visit Tangier

Cape Spartel Lighthouse, © Can Stock Photo / Aguaviva

Day Trips from Tangier

  • Take a 35 minute high speed ferry ride to Tarifa, Spain .
  • Take a local bus to Tangier-Med. Then catch the high speed ferry to Algeciras, Spain. Spend a full day visiting Gibraltar and its famous rock.
  • Excursion to Tétouan from Tangier. See this white washed port town. Visit the UNESCO medina with strong influences from Spain.
  • Full-Day Trip to Chefchaouen from Tangier. Head to the Rif mountains and see this charming town with its white and blue painted houses.
Visit Tangier Beach

Tangier Beach, © Can Stock Photo / megastocker

Traditions for Tourists

  • Watch a Berber Dancer.
  • See a snake charmer.
  • Ride a camel.
  • Visit the Café Hafa and enjoy ocean views, mint tea and biscuits.
Tiled Alcove, Kasbah, Visit Tangier

Tiled Alcove, Kasbah, © Can Stock Photo / christinegates

Get to Tangier

You can get to Tangier by train from Casablanca via ONCF which takes about 5 hours. It is also a ferry terminal for FRS, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to Tarifa in Spain. This is a fast ferry that takes less than an hour and makes multiple daily crossings. FRS also operates ferries from Tanger-Med about a half hour east of Tangier. Ferries at Tanger-Med cross to Gibraltar or Algeciras, Spain and either of these crossings takes 70 – 90 minutes. The crossings to Algeciras are much more frequent.

You can also get to Tangier by flying to Ibn Battouta Airport (TNG), which is about 15 minutes southwest of the city by cab. The airport is used mainly by Royal Air Maroc and is not a common entry point for international visitors. Many tourists arrive by ferry for day trips or short visits. For example, try a Small-Group Morocco Day Trip to Tangier from Malaga. Organized tours of Morocco often leave Tangier off their itinerary, as it is well north of the other cities typically visited.

Visit Tangier – Hotels

  • Dar Jameel – Located near the Continental, this is a small Moroccan style boutique hotel with great views from the terrace.
  • Hotel Continental – Located in the medina (old town) near the port. This hotel has had famous guests such as Churchill in the past. Today there are still some nice rooms and some good views of the port. Also enjoy the views from the terrace. This is not the Intercontinental Hotel.

History of Tangier

Tangier is also known as Tanger and Tangiers. It is located at the Strait of Gibraltar on the northwestern tip of Africa. The port is very active for transport in the Mediterranean and also for ferry traffic across the strait. Recently much of the Mediterranean transportation of goods was shifted to port Tangier-Med about a half hour to the east. The earliest known inhabitants were Berbers around 100BC and the city name is Berber. Subsequently, the Phoenicians ruled the area. Since the 1950s, Tangier has been a very independent area with an influx of inhabitants from many cultures. The population is approximately 700,000. The city is still divided architecturally between an Arab and a French Colonial quarter.

Related Blogs