barefootbeach

Hi, I've noticed there's a real lack of posting about Tangier on this site. Does everyone avoid it? Articles in the last few years talk about how it's been cleaned up, it's the King's favorite project, etc. So, I wanted to stay there a couple of nights before Chefchaouen and maybe cut Chaouen to one night instead of the two I'd been thinking about. For those of you brave souls who have visited there, what do you think? Is it worth a few nights? From there, we'd head down to Fes, Marrakech, the mountains, desert & Essaouria. Would love to hear from someone who's laid eyes on the place. The other concern, of course, is the influx of migrants trying to get to Spain but from what I understand, they are more outside of the city and near Ceuta.

ekscrunchy

I think, and my opinion is based only on about 5 visits to the country, most recent at least 15 years ago, that Tangier is visited by foreigners who do not have the time or budget to venture further. Or by those who have specific reasons to spend time in Tangier.

As an aside, there is a very good novel written last year named TANGERINE, that gives an interesting take on the city.

I am thinking of returning to the country from Spain but would certainly delve deeper south....I do not think it takes a brave soul to visit Tangier, but maybe not a novice traveler with no French. There is a healthy expat community, but one that you might not have entree to as a casual visitor.

MmePerdu

I've spent time in Tangier several times. I like it very much. I think people pass it by or think it isn't worth their time from reports left over from decades ago. But I've found it an enjoyable, friendly place to hang out for a while, maybe BECAUSE lots of people pass it by. There are day trippers over from Spain but they tend not to venture far from the ferry so if you're a walker, as I am, it doesn't take long to be the only non-resident face in sight.

In No. Morocco Spanish is as much the 2nd language as French, maybe more so. I found that particularly true in Chefchaouen. But these days the young people prefer English, all over Morocco.

As mentioned on another thread this morning, La Tangerina is the place I stay, great location at the very top of the medina, accessible by taxi, great sea views.
LaTangerina hotel

barefootbeach

Thanks ekscrunchy and Mme Perdue for your comments. I will use them in determining my final itinerary. La Tangerina looks very atmospheric.

TimCullis

In more than 40 years of visiting Morocco I had always passed quickly through Tanger, if indeed that was my port of entry. This year I decided to spend a couple of nights there and these are my notes...
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I’m on an extended motorbike trip that is part exploration of new places and part relaxing holiday. I could be here for several weeks.

Monday: I left our cave house in the Spanish mountains (overnight temperatures of minus 6°C) at Monday lunchtime and headed for the warmth of the coast. I stopped overnight at Fuengirola where I lived for a year in the 1970s.

Tuesday: the next morning I stopped on the way to Tarifa to check my iPhone and found that whilst it was in my pocket it had not only automatically called Spanish emergency services and informed my wife and daughter that I was in trouble, but had also locked the phone! The time taken to sort the mess meant I missed the FRS ferry sailing, the next was in four hours time, so I decided to cross using the 1600hrs Intershipping ferry to Tanger Ville.

I’ve never yet experienced these ferries leaving on time and seeing I was the first vehicle to board the ferry at 1550, this would be the same. On arrival at Tanger, the simple Internet procedure of completing the D16TER vehicle temporary import forms online has been discontinued and processing each vehicle took ten minutes. This could be a nightmare when the port is busy. Although I had no need any any, I noted there is a vehicle insurance office, exchange offices and ATM on the left just after customs.

I planned to stay at Hotel Continental which is close to the port. At reception I asked to see the room before committing, and a twin with view of a dingy courtyard at 350dh was negotiated into a double en-suite with harbour views and breakfast at 300dh/night. That evening I went for a long walk in the medina, followed by an early night with ear plugs in.

Wednesday: my plan for the day was to take a ride down the Atlantic coast on Al Boraq, Morocco’s new high-speed train to Kenitra and return. Unfortunately James on TripAdvisor, who lives in Kenitra, is currently out of the country, so we couldn’t meet for a cup of coffee!

I had plenty of time for the train so I decided to walk the 3.5km to the railway station and on my way pick up a Maroc Telecom SIM card from the main office in town. Easy peasy (I thought), but Maroc Telecom were singularly unhelpful, selling me just a 20 dh SIM card that would have to be topped up. They also didn’t have the tiny prong that’s needed to eject the iPhone SIM card. The assistant declined the use of her earring (which can be used to do this), so I grabbed a stapler and fashioned my own eject tool from a staple. Unbelievable. She also didn’t do the necessary carrier changes on the phone. As I carried on to the station I found a shop selling phone recharges and loaded 100 dh (10 GB) of data but it still didn’t work so when I got to the station I located the Maroc Telecom office there where a wonderfully helpful young lady did what was necessary.

Buying a ticket for Al Boraq was easy once I convinced the ticket clerks that yes, I did only want to spend a short time in Kenitra. I had coffee and a bottle of water in the Al Boraq lounge. My ticket was for a forward facing window seat with table on the ocean side of the train. 324 dh return seemed wonderful value for first class.

The train took some time to slowly gain speed, allowing me to see the extent of Tanger’s spreading development since I ran day trips over from Spain in the 1970s. Video of high speed run:
On my return to Tanger I walked back to the hotel (good exercise) and according to my Apple Watch I did 11.4km walking in total on Wednesday.

The city has lost its ‘wild west’ atmosphere, I remember when someone would have to ride ‘shotgun’ on trailers with motorbikes to prevent chancers from boarding the trailers at traffic lights to nick stuff. There were a few people sleeping rough on cardboard, but we see that in the UK. I was rarely approached and when I did they gave up almost instantly, so really zero hassle.



I saw some healthy looking horses for hire on the beach. Later on walking in the medina I didn’t see any donkeys or mules in the medina, there was one dog mournfully walking around by itself, a dozen or so well fed cats. The previous evening I had walked the medina until long after dark with no sense of problems, people were generally smily and welcoming.

I had planned to spend another day in Tanger but looking at the weather forecasts if I left Thursday morning I would escape rain further south, so that's what I'm doing.

barefootbeach