Tangier Guide

If you arrive by plane, you should take a taxi to the hotel and not pay more than 150 or 160 dirhams for the ride. If you arrive by boat, the fare from the port (meaning the port in the city of Tangier, not “Tangier-Med”) to the hotel should cost 50 dirhams, not one more and not one less.
One of the first obligations in Tangier, as in other Moroccan cities, is to learn how to get rid of the children, youngsters, and not-so-young men who walk alongside you offering their services as guides. One should be firm yet polite and explain that their services are unnecessary and that you prefer to stroll alone. It is only advisable to hire one of them if the traveler has no sense of direction, does not know the city, and fears getting lost. In that case, agree beforehand on how much you will pay and make it very clear that their job is solely to take you to the places you specify, all listed in these pages and highlighted in bold type. Avoid official guides (those with badges), since their only interest is taking visitors to shops where they receive commissions.
To get a first impression of what Tangier is and what it once was, it is worth taking the two routes of the tourist bus (recently created). Both the routes and the texts heard through the headphones are excellent. The departure point is next to the port entrance.
And now on foot, we begin our visit at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, near the Hotel El Minzah and beside the Hotel Villa de France. It is worth pausing at the graves in the English cemetery located in the garden of St. Andrew’s, and then visiting the church interior where there are several tombstones with deeply moving epitaphs. The man who looks after and shows visitors around St. Andrew’s explains interesting details in a curious mixture of Spanish, French, and English; he is a charming and sympathetic fellow, and it is advisable, when leaving the church, to give him a tip (around 20 dirhams) and place a little money in the donation box for the upkeep of the church.
From there we descend to the Grand Socco or “Suq el Barra” (outer market), a large square where it is delightful to sit on the terrace of the Cinema Rif café (Cinematheque de Tanger) and have tea or coffee. One should visit the Mendoubia Gardens there, and then enter the medina or walled city. But instead of entering the medina immediately, we will walk around it on the right and descend along Beach Street until reaching the entrance to the fish market, where we will see enormous sea bream, small sharks, aggressive lobsters… a marvel for lovers of seafood.
Upon leaving, continue downhill until the first corner, then turn left onto Portugal Street. The wall on the right encloses a Jewish cemetery (worth visiting), and the wall on the left is the exterior part of the city wall. A little farther on there are stairs leading up to a gate. Climb them, turn left, and along America Street you will reach the next building worth visiting.
It is the former American Legation in Tangier. Ring the bell, and once inside the curator of the house museum will grant access to the different rooms where one can follow the history of relations between the United States and Morocco.
After leaving, continue ahead and veer slightly left until reaching a street lined with shop windows of traditional jewelers, formerly Jewish and now Muslim. From there you arrive at Siaguín Street, and turning right downhill you reach a widening in the street forming a small square called Petit Socco, surrounded by cafés and boarding houses with Spanish names (Pensión Fuentes, Pensión Becerra…). Second stop: the terrace of Café Tingis, to rest, drink tea, and watch passersby come and go.
If we continue downhill to the left (Marina Street), we reach the Great Mosque of the medina, and a little farther down, at the corner with Tanneries Street, a small terrace-square offering a beautiful view of the bay; on clear days the Spanish city of Tarifa can be seen perfectly.
We return on our steps and, upon reaching the upper part of Petit Socco, turn right into Christians’ Street, full of bazaars and various shops. At the lower end of the street is the prettiest antique shop in Tangier — Majid — remarkable both for its beautiful merchandise and for the beauty of the house in which it is located. Continuing and veering slightly left, we arrive at a corner where Sebou Street begins. From there, taking the street climbing to the right, we can ascend to the Kasbah (the fortified citadel) of Tangier.
In the Kasbah square there is an interesting museum of ancient objects housed in a beautiful former sultan’s palace, and another newer museum of contemporary art. Going right from the square there is another viewpoint — Bab el Bahar — from which, on clear days, the Spanish coast is visible.
It is advisable to leave the Kasbah through the upper part, Tabor Square, emerging at the Marchán Gate, and from there descend via Kasbah Street and then Italy Street until reaching the Grand Socco. There it is interesting to enter the vegetable market.
A little farther down, taking Beach Street and turning right into Esperanza de Orellana Street, we arrive at the Gran Teatro Cervantes, a Spanish modernist building from 1913, currently under restoration. Only the façade can be seen, but the walk is worthwhile.
A very pleasant evening stroll is to walk all the way down Beach Street until reaching the seafront promenade (Avenue des Forces Armées). From there begins an avenue leading to the gardens and museum of Villa Harris. For variety, the return to the center can be made by taking one of the streets climbing from the seafront toward Mohammed V Boulevard, which continues into Pasteur Boulevard.

Surroundings
In the surroundings of Tangier, it is interesting to visit Cape Spartel, where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet and where there is a pleasant restaurant. Returning along the coastal road, one reaches the Caves of Hercules, where there is a luxurious hotel with terraces over rocks battered by Atlantic waves: the Hotel Le Mirage. Nearby, down on the beach, one can visit the ruins of a small Punic and later Roman salting-factory town called Cotta.
Continuing along the road, and if time permits, it is worth going to the restaurant Chez Abdou, in the Diplomatic Forest. An open-air dining area separated from the beach by dunes. Excellent fish, chosen by each diner by pointing at it.
Farther along lies the town of Asilah (about 40 kilometers away), where one can eat excellent seafood (goose barnacles, spider crabs, velvet crabs, lobsters…) and very fine fish at Casa García, and then wander through the beautiful and spotless walled town.
If you do not have a car for these excursions, the best option is to hire a taxi after bargaining with the driver. The taxis that provide such services are the large beige taxis found at the stand on Holland Street beside Hotel Villa de France, or at the stand at the beginning of Fez Street, slightly above Place de France. (For a round trip to Asilah with a couple of hours’ waiting time while you have lunch, one may pay between 700 and 800 dirhams.)

Restaurants
In Tangier there are many and varied places where one can delight in the pleasures of gluttony. As for Moroccan food, the best is the El Korshán restaurant located in Hotel El Minzah. Simpler (though still of good quality) is Hamadi, at the end of Italy Street on the right; “kitsch” decoration and a small orchestra of five elderly men dressed in traditional fashion entertain the evening.
The best kebabs in Tangier are served at El Dorado restaurant, on Juana de Arco Street, where they also offer excellent fresh fish chosen from the refrigerator at the entrance. To enjoy Italian dishes (pizza and pasta) — and excellent oysters — one can dine in incomparable surroundings at Casa de Italia (temporarily closed), and at the charming and cozy Anna e Paolo. In the lower part of Grand Socco there are several small popular restaurants where one can taste delicious fried fish such as sardines stuffed with chermoula, as well as excellent meat and fish skewers. Climbing Belgium Street leads to a tennis club (Chellah Garden) with a bar-restaurant serving beer and wine.
Cheap and popular Moroccan cuisine can be found at Restaurant Bachir.

Tapas Bars
Tangier is the only city in Morocco (a little survives in Tetouan, but not much) where there are bars where one can drink beers or wines and eat tapas. The list is extensive and we will mention only the most interesting:
• Le trou dans le mur, opposite the Jewish casino, on Viñas Street. Fried fish.
• Le coeur de Tanger (above Café de Paris). Best visited at midday.
• La Grenouille (a little below Hotel Rembrandt).
• Le Pain Nu (below Hotel Ritz).
• Le relais de la Grand Poste (on Mohammed V Boulevard).
• Casa de España (recently renovated, slightly below Hotel Rembrandt).
In most of these bars, the tapas arrive shortly after the beer, without the customer ordering anything else; they are complimentary.

Bars for After Dinner
Excellent youthful atmosphere and good music at Number One, almost next to Hotel Rembrandt. Very nearby is Pepe Ocaña, with good drinks and cocktails.
The most welcoming and pleasant bars — and the only ones with a proper bartender — are the Caid’s Bar at Hotel El Minzah and the Piano Bar at the Morocco Club. Piano music is played at night. The busiest and most pleasant in the city is a typical English pub called The Pub, where one can also dine (on Sorolla Street below Hotel Ritz). And also London, on Fernando Rey de Portugal Street.

Cocktails in Tangier
The best cocktail bar (for value for money) is the bar at the Spanish restaurant Duquesa, near the train station. Also nearby is the Hilton Hotel, and on the 13th floor there is an excellent bar with a skilled bartender called Kas’bar, with prices similar to Madrid and a very comfortable, elegant, and welcoming atmosphere. Another excellent place for cocktails (thanks to the atmosphere and service) is the Piano Bar at the Morocco Club restaurant, in the upper part of the Kasbah (Tabor Square).

Cafés
One of the most characteristic and charming places in Tangier is Café Hafa. Located in the Marshán district, it consists of a small wooden shack and a succession of earth terraces cascading down a cliff over the sea. People looking toward Spain. Students playing parcheesi. Groups smoking kif or hashish… it is a must-visit.
Not far away are the terraces of Café Hanafta, very lively at sunset. Also picturesque and relaxing is the café at the Pensión Americana on Tapiró Street, just at the end of the stairs from the American Cinema, at the beginning of Tanneries Street. Also noteworthy are the terraces of Café Central and Café Tingis (Petit Socco), the Cinema Rif café (Grand Socco), and Café de Paris in Place de France.

Breakfasts and Afternoon Snacks
Tangier has many excellent cafés serving breakfasts, brunches, and snacks, as well as pastry shops with seating where sweets can be enjoyed with drinks.
The most traditional pastry shop and café is La Española, on Libertad Street, between the Grand Café de Paris and Hotel El Minzah. Among the newer establishments, one of the best known is La Fuga, highly recommended for breakfast, with three locations: two in the Iberia district and one in the Socco Alto shopping center.

Shopping
Hard bargaining in all the shops of the medina except for a few fixed-price stores where one senses there is no attempt to cheat the customer.
Good antique dealers opposite Hotel El Minzah. Interesting second-hand shops on Holland Street near the Fez Market. And a major antique dealer in the medina: Majid, along with others in the same neighborhood.

Books
The two best bookstores to buy books about Tangier and Morocco in general are Librairie des Colonnes, on Pasteur Boulevard — Tangier’s main artery that one inevitably walks several times a day — and Les Insolites bookstore, on Velázquez Street, descending from the cannon viewpoint square.

Epilogue
This Tangier itinerary is one among many possible ones. It is simply the author’s favorite, written with great affection for Tangier and its inhabitants and with the intention of helping visitors who follow these suggestions feel at ease in the city and return home with a favorable impression of what they saw and experienced.

Additional Notes

Hotels in Tangier
My favorite is El Minzah, though it may be somewhat expensive; however, its location, garden, and elegance make it, in my opinion, the best in the city.
Also very good, though much more modest, is the Rembrandt, with an excellent balance of location, price, and quality, plus a garden with a swimming pool where drinks are served at night.
Very pleasant is Hotel La Tangerina (in the Kasbah), with a beautiful rooftop terrace overlooking the sea where breakfast is served.
They also have three beautiful apartments in Grand Socco Square, reasonably priced and ideally located beside the medina, the kasbah, and the modern city.
More modest and very central is Hotel Chellah, with a lovely garden and swimming pool.

To get to know the city, the ideal first step is to take the Tourist Bus (departing beside the port) and do both routes: the city route (1 hour) and the Cape Spartel route (2 hours). And the voice heard through the headphones in Spanish is that of my former roommate in Tangier, who also designed the routes.

I also recommend these restaurants: Casa de Italia, Anna e Paolo, El Dorado, Morocco Club, Riad Mokhtar, Soussi (in the medina), Tarik, and Bashir.
Excellent Chinese food can be found at Restaurant Anji, in the lower section of Youssef Ibn Tachfine Avenue, beside the beach promenade.
And a new restaurant opened in 2026 serving Spanish cuisine (excellent rice dishes) and Moroccan cuisine (excellent tagines). It is called Come Copas, and occupies the premises where the sign for Tom Yam, formerly a Vietnamese restaurant, still remains.

The only truly good bar in the city center with good music and no prostitution is Number One, beside Hotel Rembrandt. There is even a photo of me on one of the walls.

I also recommend visiting the Ibn Battuta Museum in the Kasbah, the museum of European painters in Tangier at Dar Niaba (Siaguín Street) in the medina, the Jewish museum just opposite at the end of an alley, and the Villa Harris Museum.

Alberto Gómez Font

The Kasbah & Medina

Historic narrow streets, artisan shops, and traditional cafés.
The Kasbah sits at the highest point of the old city and offers breathtaking views over the Strait of Gibraltar.
Walking through its narrow streets reveals centuries of history, Andalusian architecture, artisan houses, and quiet courtyards.
Today the Kasbah remains one of the most atmospheric areas of Tangier.

Grand Socco

The Grand Socco is the lively square that connects the modern city with the historic Medina.
For centuries it has been a meeting place for traders, travelers, and locals. Today it remains one of Tangier’s most vibrant public spaces.
From here visitors can easily enter the Medina’s traditional markets and shops.

Cape Spartel

The dramatic point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea.
Located about 14 km from Tangier, Cape Spartel marks the point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea.
The lighthouse and surrounding cliffs offer spectacular views, especially at sunset.

Hercules Caves

One of the most famous natural landmarks near Tangier.
According to legend, Hercules rested here after completing his twelve labors. The cave’s opening toward the sea resembles the shape of the African continent.

Tangier Marina

Modern waterfront with restaurants and promenades.

CINEMA RIF – Grand Socco (right in the square)

A historic cinema in Tangier. As well as the recently restored Art Deco building, which is an absolute must-see, there is a small shop at the back (ask at the cinema ticket office) where they sell notebooks with red covers, canvas tote bags (the orange one is lovely) and T-shirts (the army green one is cute) featuring the Rif cinema logo. Interesting films in Arabic and Spanish. The bar is also very popular with young people.

Alcazar Cinema, Rue d’Italie

The Alcazar Cinema in Tangier is a historic movie theater located at the entrance to the medina, recently renovated to offer a modern cinematic experience in an authentic setting.

Beit Yehouda Synagogue (Assayag)

The Beit Yehouda Synagogue (also known as the Assayag Synagogue) is a major historic landmark located in the heart of Tangier’s medina. Long abandoned, it has been fully restored and now houses the Beit Yehouda Museum Space, dedicated to the memory and heritage of the Jewish community of northern Morocco.

Perdicaris Castle

Perdicaris Castle (also known as Perdicaris Palace), located about 6 km from the center of Tangier in the heart of the Rmilat forest, is an iconic landmark combining diplomatic history with botanical richness.

Donabo Gardens

The Donabo Gardens are an 8,000-square-meter green oasis located in the hills of Tangier, on the Route du Cap Spartens. Opened in 2022, they are the city's first botanical garden. The name "Donabo" derives from the Latin verb "donare" (to give), a tribute to the generosity of the land and the Moroccan hospitality extended to visitors. The idea was born from a dream of Princess Malika El Alaoui, a member of the royal family, who was assisted in its creation by the English artist Paul Belvoir.
The Princess decided to redevelop a degraded wooded area to share it with the local community.
The garden is thus divided into 10 thematic sections, each with its own personality and identity, including the Moroccan Garden, with a selection of herbs for the famous Moroccan mint tea, and the Chinese Garden.

THREE CITIES TO VISIT OUTSIDE TANGIER
contributor Benedetta Lignani Marchesani

ASILAH

On the Atlantic coast (if you’re heading to Rohuna, it’s not far away – about an hour and a half from Tangier), a fortified town with 15th-century Portuguese walls, stunning views and beautiful houses in the all-white medina with touches of blue and green, art galleries and the characteristic murals by local artists.

TÉTOUAN

(about an hour and a quarter from Tangier) inland at the foot of the Rif Mountains is a magical city. A city with a Spanish feel, its medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The beautiful Mellah (Jewish quarter within the medina) still houses old artisans, bakers, synagogues, mosques, and an ancient souk... it exudes an atmosphere of times gone by, absolutely not to be missed.
There's also one of the royal palaces and a small, interesting Archaeological Museum.
Recommended hotel: EL REDUCTO (38, rue Zawiya Kadiria). A traditional, family-run establishment, elegant and meticulously maintained, a corner of Andalusia in Morocco. Just a few rooms, each unique; they've even filmed here. The restaurant is excellent, very simple, but the best in Tetouan both inside and on the lovely terrace overlooking the city.
For dining (and sleeping), we also recommend the nearby BLANCO RIAD (25 Rue Zawiya Kadiria), with its lovely interior patio. However, they don't serve alcohol. My favorite, however, is still El Reducto.

CHEFCHAOUEN

(two and a half hours from Tangier, 110 km) – INTERESTING, PERHAPS A LITTLE TOURISTIC, the famous blue city for the color of its houses painted in every shade of blue (the view is evocative, a perfect setting for memorable photos). Towards the Ras-al-Ma springs, in the upper part of the city, you can still find beautiful white, red, and black striped fabrics used by Rif Berber women to sew their long traditional skirts (the fabrics are actually wonderful for making cushions or lining benches and small sofas) and a few shops selling interesting handicrafts and accessories. For the rest, aside from the fortress in Uta-al-Hammam square, which is worth a visit and for taking a few photos (some views are very beautiful), it is a city over-hyped (a shame). There are no noteworthy restaurants; some, in the main square, have a bit of a tourist trap feel.

SECRET GARDENS OF NORTHERN MOROCCO

A BOTANICAL SANCTUARY BETWEEN SKY AND EARTH
Step into the fascinating world of Umberto Pasti, the celebrated Italian writer and botanist who has devoted his life to safeguarding Morocco's wild flora. Nestled in an unspoilt valley overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the Garden of Rohuna is far more than a garden: it is a living work of art, a poetic and ecological conservatory unlike any other.
For more than twenty years, with the help of local villagers, Umberto Pasti has collected and replanted thousands of bulbous plants threatened by urban development and road building. Alongside them flourish hundreds of rare species, wild lilies, irises and unusual trees, creating a landscape mosaic of remarkable beauty.
Guided visits

Villa Tbarek Allah - Tangeri
Umberto Pasti's urban eden

A lush oasis in the heart of Tangier, ideal for an intimate and refined experience.

The Garden of Rohuna - Wild Valley
A conservatory of moroccan wild flora

An unforgettable escape beyond time, amid unspoilt nature and botanical terraces overlooking the sea.