A Magical Day in Tangiers, Morocco

During our trip to southern Spain several years ago, we made a point of making our way across the Strait of Gibraltar to visit Tangiers, Morocco.  We took the high speed ferry from Tarifa (near Gibraltar) to the port of Tangiers, where we were met by our guides to start what would be a truly memorable day and definitely one of the highlights of our entire trip.  Tangiers is a unique African city as it has been the doorway to Europe for centuries and therefore has a varied population, although it is still mostly Muslim.

Lighthouse on the Coast
Streets of the Medina
Market Stall with a Variety of Nuts

We started our day by visiting a neighborhood market, which was extremely busy with locals buying a variety of fresh foods. It is hard to describe the market in Tangiers other than to say that the colors and aromas overtake you at every turn.  There are merchants with spices piled to the ceiling, olives of every possible variety, exotic fruit, butchers with meat on display, and every variety of fish imaginable caught fresh from the Mediterranean Ocean.  As we walked among the merchants, we were given samples of olives, dates, candy, and more.  It was truly a magical experience.  After leaving the market, we were off to the Kasbah or Medina, the fortress and oldest part of the city.

Various Cuts of Meat
Fresh Fish on Display
Vegetable Market

Walking the streets of the Kasbah was like walking back in time.  The cobblestone streets and grand arches led to a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean.  It is off the coast of Tangiers where the Mediterranean Ocean and Atlantic Ocean meet.  Before we left the Medina, we were treated to our own private performance by a snake charmer.  Having seen snake charmers on TV and movies, we weren’t quite sure what to expect, but it turned out to be fascinating as the charmer played his flute and waived his hand in the face of the King Cobra.  We weren’t, however, prepared for what came next as they wrapped a live snake, not a King Cobra fortunately, across our shoulders so that we could take some pictures.

Walking in the Medina
Snake Charmer in Morocco
Entrance to the Medina

From there, we left the city and headed down the coast where we enjoyed gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean and a nearby lighthouse.  After a short time, we stopped to ride camels on the shore of the Atlantic.  It was a little touristy, but at the same time, how many people get to say that they’ve ridden camels on the beach.  From there we visited the pre-historic Caves of Hercules, which is a beautiful geological attraction. It is famous because it has an opening in the shape of Africa to looks out onto the ocean.

Camels on the Beach in Morocco
Cave of Hercules
The Coast of Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean

Once we got back to Tangiers, it was time for a late lunch, which was good because we had definitely worked up an appetite.  We had quite the meal in a tiny, family owned, restaurant, that was authentic Moroccan chicken served in a tagine with hot tea.  The food was incredible and the family that served us couldn’t have been any nicer.  After lunch, we were taken to the shops of some local artisans with the hope that we’d buy some authentic Moroccan products.  We visited a spice shop where we did purchase some saffron, cumin, and marjoram at prices you could never find in the States.  At the carpet weaver’s shop, carpets of every description were laid at our feet as we enjoyed some more tea, but as tempted as we were, we decided not to buy one.

Tajines and Dishes for Sale in Morocco
Lunch at a Moroccan Restaurant
Coast of Morocco

Finally, we took the ferry back to Spain and our wonderful day in Morocco came to an end. Although we hope to return to Morocco and spend more than just a day, we were very happy with the day that we did spend there. 

Tangiers Morocco- A World of its Own

View of the Port

One of our favorite travel memories was when we went to Tangiers for a day while staying in southern Spain.  We remember being a little nervous about going because we weren’t sure about the cultural differences.  Having spent time in India helped calm some of the nerves and the more that we read about it, the more we knew it would be a highlight of our trip.  Tangiers is truly a melting pot as it is the crossroad between Europe and Africa.  Centuries of people travelling through Tangiers to bring goods for sale has made it one of the most tolerant cities in all of northern Africa.

Looking Up Towards the Neighborhoods
Market Stall with Plenty of Nuts
Entrance to the Medina
Walking in the Medina
Fish Market
Harbor

Walking through the streets of the medina (old city) is definitely an amazing experience.  The varied architecture was extremely interesting to see and at the highest point was the Kasbah (fortress) with beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean.  Unlike some of the other medina that we’ve read about, we were not accosted by beggars or people trying to sell us trinkets.  We definitely enjoyed the markets and came home with some wonderful  saffron.  We came close to buying a hand-made rug from one of the shopkeepers, but ended up deciding not to.  After eating an incredible meal in a tiny family owned restaurant, we purchased a tagine from one of the nearby shops.

View of the Ocean
Spice Shop
Ceramics for Sale
View from the Kasbah
Streets of the Medina

We did stop to watch a snake charmer at one point, which a little touristy, but still created a wonderful memory.  Tangiers is more than just the old city, the heart of the city is quite modern and is home to a lot of ex-pats.  There are also plenty of hotels to choose from if you want to spend several days there, but we were there for just one day. Hopefully we’ll return one day to see more of Morocco as the people were extremely friendly and we thoroughly enjoyed what time we did have there.

Bustling Downtown
Snake Charmer
It was an Interactive Show
Vegetable Market
Tagines
Walking the Streets