One of the essential stages in a trip through the north of Morocco is, without a doubt, Tangier, a city that I have already had occasion to visit several times.
Moreover, from Madrid or Barcelona, the fastest way to travel to such an attractive area of the neighboring country is to fly directly to Tangier airport, so the city becomes the first corner to visit.
But what can you see and visit in Tangier?
The city of Tangier highlights the historic international character that gives it a special halo beyond the exoticism of other Moroccan cities.
Did you know that Tangier was an international city that depended on several countries during the time of the French and Spanish protectorates, which from 1912 to 1956 covered the region of North Africa that we now know as Morocco?
Tangier, international city
At that time the inhabitants of the Spanish protectorate who had their capital and a most important enclave in Tetouan, and those of the French protectorate with Fez as capital, needed a passport to enter Tangier.
In fact, the so-called international zone of Tangier was in force between 1923 and 1960, the latter year when Morocco, after the declaration of independence in 1956, acquired the effective sovereignty of this coastal city.
The protectorate of Tangier was exercised by several countries: France and Spain, which at that time had under their sovereignty the current territory of Morocco, but also the United States, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal, Belgium and Holland.
That international interest in Tangier has its origins many centuries ago in history, which is understood by its strategic place at the northernmost point of the African continent as one of the entrance doors to the Mediterranean Sea.
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Tangier History
The history of the city of Tangier goes back to the time when the Phoenicians arrived in that geographical area and they named it the Tingis, the original name of Tangier.
ingis was the name of a goddess lover of Hercules, who according to legend separated Europe from Africa by opening the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Romans also passed through here, whose presence still contains some archaeological remains.
HOTEL BARCELÓ in TANGER
Did you know that in the city of Tangier in Morocco you can enjoy a hotel of the Barceló chain with a high level of luxury and comfort? Located in the new tourist area next to the promenade, you can stay at the Barceló Tangier hotel with excellent panoramic views of the city and from which in just two minutes walking you reach the beach. For your trip, here is a code with which when making your reservation you will have a 5 percent discount on your stay: BGUIASVIAJAR5 Here you can select your Barceló hotel in Tangier and make your reservation with the aforementioned discount code. Then the Vandals arrived until in the year 705 it was the Arabs who occupied Tangier on their way to Spain.
Later it was the Portuguese who in 1471 took the city, once again, for their strategic interest, for two centuries after giving it to the British.
At the end of the 17th century, a Moroccan Sultan took control of Tangier, until at the beginning of the 20th century it was again the object of foreigners’ interest with the arrival of the protectorate and the aforementioned declaration of an international zone.
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That was a time of great strength for Tangier, a city that attracted a great variety of Western visitors, from artists that led to a cultural boom, to exiles, spies, bohemian people … and also marginal.
After the independence of Morocco, the city lived years of decline, and, from a tourist point of view, it became an unpleasant place for visitors.
It was precisely that situation that many years ago, and from bad experiences of friends who visited Tangier, I decided to take a trip to the north of Morocco out of my priorities.
However, with the new reign of Mohamed VI, Tangier has become a strategic point in the monarch’s purpose of giving the country a boost of modernization.
The crime was persecuted and Tangier has opened up to the world facilitating the implementation of large multinational companies, turning this area into an important industrial production center.
This character has been propitiated by the construction of Tangier Med.
It is a large and modern freight and passenger port located 40 kilometers north of the city, in the Strait of Gibraltar, and very close to Ceuta, whose first phase was inaugurated in 2007.
Currently, Tangier Med has outperformed important Spanish ports in the number of containers it moves, in parallel to the establishment in the vicinity of the city of large European industrial companies, including Spanish.
Another very important infrastructure for this transformation process in Tangier is the high-speed train that has connected this city with Casablanca and Rabat since the end of 2018.
Thus, when you now arrive in Tangier you find a city with several faces.
On the one hand, a large city in clear expansion, surrounded by large industrial areas where the aforementioned international companies are installed, and with a very modern area that is concentrated in its promenade located next to the huge beach of the city.
In this area, you find skyscrapers with large and luxurious hotels, as well as huge shopping centers and leisure facilities.
And on the other hand, Tangier maintains its historical aspect with some old European neighborhoods that are also in the process of transformation.
What to see and do in Tangier
From the tourist side, you must start your visit to Tangier in the historic area, on the banks of the old port, also fully remodeled, where ferries arrive from Algeciras or Tarifa.
Tangier Harbor
Thus, in this port, a huge marina for leisure boats is being completed.
In the historic area, you will find two clearly defined areas, the medina with its kasbah, and the so-called new city.
To see the latter, if you go by car, you must take the main avenue, Pasteur Boulevard, and successively you will find the old French quarter and the new Spanish neighborhood.
Old Spanish neighborhood of Tangier
This tour includes institutions such as the Instituto Cervantes, Spanish schools, such as Ramón y Cajal, and the Spanish Consulate in one of the largest and most luxurious venues in the city.
As you go along this avenue, you will reach the British and North American areas, where you will find numerous villas.
And later, on the way to Cabo Espartel, passing through a residential area that stretches through hills with lush forests, you can see large mansions.
As a curiosity, I will tell you that some of them are now occupied by tycoons from Arab Gulf countries, such as the Saudi Arabian oil minister, who in Tangier has an impressive palace.
But your sightseeing tour of Tangier should focus on the kasbah and the medina.
Kasba of Tangier
The Kasbah of Tangier, an old walled enclosure high on one of the hills of the city, is now a network of narrow streets, some of whose buildings house small, charming hotels and riads of European owners.
To highlight the beautiful riad La Maison Blanche of Spanish property, from whose very pleasant terrace you have spectacular views of the city.
On your walk through the Kasba, from a hole in the wall, you have a good viewpoint of the old port of Tangier, where you can see sections of the old Portuguese fortification.
Kasbah Museum of Tangier
In the Kasbah of Tangier, it is worth entering the Kasbah Museum, the former palace of a Sultan, and also the residence of the Portuguese and British governors.
In addition to seeing the building, this museum shows various objects from the history of Tangier and Morocco.
They include a large floor mosaic of the ancient Roman city of Volúbilis and a large and very curious wall map of the ancient Arab occupation in the world.
Tangier Medina
Leaving through one of the doors of the kasbah you can already descend through the narrow alleys of the medina.
Over there you will arrive at the most crowded and commercial area of the same, whose central point is the Little Zoco square and its surroundings.
St Andrews Anglican Church in Tangier in northern Morocco
St Andrews Anglican Church in Tangier in northern Morocco
April 9 Square in Tangier
If instead, you arrive from the downtown area of the city, to visit the Tangier medina you must go to the square on April 9, where the main entrance to the medina is located.
Nearby you have the curious Anglican church of St Andrews, where a Muslim architecture building is combined with Christian iconography and even some element of the Hebrew religion.
Grand Hotel Ville de France
In front of it, you have the recently renovated Grand Hotel Ville de France, where the French painter Delacroix stayed in his time and later, Matisse, the famous French impressionist who lived in Tangier, and where he embodied several of his most famous works.
It is worth going up to your terrace from where you have beautiful panoramic views of the medina.
On your walk, through the lower part of the medina, you will go through streets to a certain extent and you will visit the traditional souks where clothing and souvenir shops abound, which shows you that Tangier is a fair tourist city.
Of course, in the medina of Tangier do not expect to find the exoticism of other medinas in Morocco, such as Chefchaouen, or the authenticity of that of Tetouan.
In the medina, you will also see the old Italian neighborhood, with buildings and corners that in a way can remind you of Naples.
Tangier beach and promenade
The other side of the city that you must see on your visit is reflected in the surroundings of the huge beach of Tangier five kilometers long.
There recently a large promenade with leisure areas has been inaugurated, while skyscrapers have been built with large and modern hotels of the most famous chains in the world.
It is also an area where, being frequented by tourists and foreign visitors, it will be easy for you to see patrolling of armed soldiers walking in their work of protection against possible terrorist attacks.
Undoubtedly, Tangier is already beginning to show the image of a very modern city, in contrast to corners more linked to its past international city boom, such as its historic hotels.
In this regard, in addition to the aforementioned hotel Ville
de France, in other historical hotels of Tangier like El Minzah or the Continental hotel you can also relive the presence of illustrious international characters through black and white photos.
Tangier Hafa Cafe
Or also in the famous Café Hafa, with its multi-level terraced tables, a great viewpoint towards Spain, an authentic place (but very busy …) to have a mint tea.
This now mythical place used to be frequented, among other famous visitors of Tangier, by the American writer Paul Bowles or the Rolling Stones, where they smoked hashish.
Tangier surroundings
If you have time, it is worth it that in the surroundings of Tangier you approach Cabo Spartel,
Cape Spartel
Cape Spartel Located about 14 kilometers west of the city, on its pleasant terrace, you can sit and enjoy the views of the Spanish coast next to the Cape Lighthouse.
Hercules Grottoes
And nearby you can go to see the reopened Grutas de Hércules, a beautiful tourist enclave. Or have a tea (at a “European” price) on the spectacular terrace of the very luxurious and exclusive Le Mirage hotel, overlooking the stunning beach extends south.
Medina of Asilah
And, of course, you can also visit the beautiful Medina of Asilah, about 30 kilometers south on the shores of the Atlantic coast, one of the most charming enclaves in northern Morocco.
USEFUL TIPS for your TRIP
-Tips for renting a car for your trip
-Tours and excursions in Spanish
-Tips for choosing your travel insurance
-Exchange of holiday homes
-How to claim for the cancellation of your flight
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