I will be on the Costa de la Luz this month for about 12 days. After realizing how close it is to Tangier (by hydrofoil from Tarifa), I am vacillating about taking a day to visit the city. (I've posted this query on the Spain forum since it gets much more traffic than Africa/Middle East forums).

Many older reports are pretty negative about Tangier, often comparing a visit to the city from Spain with a visit to Tijuana for visitors to California. Apparently Tangier has undergone a positive refresh in recent years, with the European expat community growing and a general clean-up having taken place.

I'm leaning toward taking the boat and wandering the city on my own; if after a while, I feel the need for a guide (mainly to keep touts and would-be-guides away so I can wander in peace), I could hire one from the tourist office. I'd like to hear comments on this from people who have visited both on their own, and with the company of a guide.

More important: The medina/souk would be the focus of my visit. I have no interest in camel rides or drives to scenic overlooks. I'd like to wander the food stalls and spice shops and would like to purchase some (culinary) argan oil and a few spices if given the opportunity. Maybe a caftan or interesting piece of clothing.. But several reports have commented that the Tangier medina is very small and not all that interesting. I do not want to take the trouble and expense of making the trip only to find that I am finished with my wanderings in an hour. I'm sure it will be nothing like the medina in Fez, but can the Tangier medina keep me busy for a few hours?
Are there any food shops/markets outside of the medina that might be worth visiting?

I'd also welcome a chance to sample some snacks and lunch..maybe bring back a few pastries, m'semen (delicious flatbread), or slices of bistillah (bisteeya/pastilla)..maybe all three, and more!

I'd like to lunch at a restaurant that does not cater solely to foreign tourists, or tour groups. And given my love for bisteeya, I'm dreaming of ordering this for lunch. If anyone has a recommendation for a restaurant serving this dish (or any restaurant; I can take a look at their menu once I have the name). One place I have in mind is Al Maimouni, but I'm open to anything. Food is more important than views, for me.

Thanks so much, in advance, for helping me to decide whether or not go take the trip!!

Africa forum perhaps

I explained, above, why Ii posted this query on the Europe/Spain forum; I would have also included it in Middle East/Africa but was unable to add it to 2 categories at once.

<<(I've posted this query on the Spain forum since it gets much more traffic than Africa/Middle East forums).>>

We were in Tangier in August. Our son's father in law is Moroccan so we were all together and with his family who live there. One of his cousins took us to this place for dinner and I see they are open for lunch too - Restaurant Palais Zahia, in a riad called Palais Zahia. We sat up on the rooftop terrace and it was lovely. The riad is very pretty with a central light shaft and beautiful lanterns, tiles etc. The food was good, we had Bissara, the fava bean and split pea soup and a tagine. On Trip Advisor someone mentioned having Pastilla for lunch so maybe you can check out the reviews there.
The address is Rue de la Marine No 72, Place Souk Dakhel, Tangier. We were dropped off at the marina front promenade and made our way there through the medina, it wasn't far.
We were very lucky to have had a seafood Pastilla at another cousins hotel where we all stayed, he had the chef make it for us as a first course in a big family dinner. I had never had it before- so tasty.

I didn't shop in this medina but it seemed to have lots to look at; our son spent most of the afternoon there one day but he was mainly buying rugs. Of course he got in trouble/laughed at when he got back to the hotel and all the Moroccan family wanted to know how much he paid for each one. "Too much, too much!" It did look like Tangier has had a refresh, the marina/waterfront area in front of the Kasbah looks pretty newly done, it was nice, then you kind of climb up into the medina, it looked somewhat cleaner and more appealing than the one in Casablanca. The family were all saying the King has been investing lots of money in capital projects, son's father in law couldn't believe how his home town of Rabat has been spruced up.
I can't comment on Tijuana, having only seen it in photos and in movies but what I saw of Tangier wouldn't make me compare the two.

Tanger is not a typical Moroccan city, nor a particular gem, but it's not ugly neither.
But you can easily spend 7 hrs there by visiting, shopping and eating.
Tetouan would be much more "Moroccan", but it's about 1 hr by louage (shared taxi) from either Tanger bus Terminal od Ceuta/Fnidek border.

Rainycitygirl:

Thank you ever so much for all of the information you provided yesterday! Now I am certainly leaning towards taking that day trip! And I will certainly check out the restaurant that you recommended, Restaurant Palais Zahia.

And Neckervd, you are always so helpful on these forums..thank you for your comments!

ekscrunchy, you are welcome, I hope you have a really good time.

ekscrunchy

I'm curious about your experience with the Tarifa-Tangier excursion. Did you end up making the trip?

We're planning a similar adventure in mid-October. We'll be taking a bus from Seville to La Linea, arriving at 12:10. After spending the afternoon exploring Gibraltar, we'll head back to Tarifa for the night. The next morning, we'll catch the 9:00 ferry to Tangier and return on the 14:00 ferry. Finally, we'll take the 18:30 bus back to Seville.

We're staying in Seville and traveling with a single backpack for a change of clothes. This is a bit of a departure from our usual travel style, but both my wife and I are excited about the adventure. We recently decided to add a stop in Gibraltar after learning that the Comes bus terminates a short walk from The Rock.

I'm eager to hear your thoughts and any advice from others who might have experience with this route. Thanks for your time and help.

Richard I never took the trip...read about a day trip and it didi not sound all that interesting. But I've been to Morocco a few times before so.....

Bringing this up again since I am once more debating whether or not to take the day trip to Tangier.

Can I just wander around myself.....no need for a guide, is there?????

The main issue for me is being able to drive to Tarifa and park at the ferry terminal....

Other option would be to get a taxi to the me to Tarifa and on the way back, find one (possible??) in Tarifa to bring me back to the Vejer area...about an hour's drive or a bit less.....

Anyone been to Tangier recently?????

Thanks so much!!!!

Yes, I have been recently.

As I reported on your other HO forum question, I have very strong opinions on the current state of affairs in Tangier. But my opinion is clouded because Tangier was my final stop in February on a wonderful Moroccan visit to exciting Marrakesh and totally different, as in pristine, Rabat (where my husband lived as a child for 5 years).

So comparing Tangier to those cities is not quite fair, but,,,
in my opinion, Tangier simply pails in comparison.
I had visited Tangier in the 80s and did all the touristy, requisite things---coming off the ferry with dozens of "would be" guides hounding the ferry passenger for work, engaging a guide to take us to Cape Spartel where the Atlantic meets the Strait, the touristy camel ride there, the visit in Tangier to the rug market and haggling while drinking mint tea, etc.

This time, for very complicated reasons, we had to travel on the (very comfortable) bullet train from Rabat to Tangiers for an overnight before flying back to Madrid. We stayed at the boutique Maison de Tangiers in the heart of the old town, owned by two (famous but I didn't know them) Canadian musicians, who were on site to great and chat with the hotel guests.
That part was quite pleasant and service first rate. Somewhat boho but lovely.

While the lodging was fine and breakfast and dinners (with wine!) for guests only were lovely. during the day our explorations left quite a bit to be desired.
Again it is impossible to compare thrilling Marrakech and the beautiful, manicured Rabat of Rabat with Tangier.

We were not hassled by would be guides because we arrived by train and took a taxi directly to our hotel and wandered the next day completely on our own with lunch taken at a nearby restaurant recommend by the hotel, the luncheon accompanied by music from local musicians.

ff we had allowed a couple of days perhaps we perhaps would have discovered some secret, hidden gems. But I had read all the recent articles, puff pieces about the New Tangier, and just didn't find these gems. The "posh" part of that coast is the Bay of Tamuda, where the king has built his 3rd Royal Mansour hotel, but this id Tetuan rather than Tangier. The most upscale hotel to date in Tangier is the Fairmont Tazi Palace, but located in a posh area of villas on the way to the airport, far from the center. We didn't see the Villa Mabrouka in the Kasbah, where the king's daugher recently stayed.

The nicest shopping I found was at the Kasbah Collective, a stylish designer boutique outside of the souk, where there are fixed prices. I bought a few pieces of blue pottery for my collection. But again, it's not fair to compare Tangier's Kasbah to Marrakech's infinite shopping!

We both decided that we wouldn't return until after the FIFA World Cup in 2030, when all the new infrastructure for this event is finally completed. and the new marina area, which we saw, is completely filled with shops, eateries, cafés, etc. Tangier is definitely a work in progress.

About the Tarifa to Tangier ferry----if there are strong levante winds and the water in the Strait too choppy, the ferries may be cancelled. This happened to Annie B of Annie B's cooking school in Vejer (she takes clients regularly on a food tour to Tangier) and because the return ferry was cancelled, they had to spend the night. The alternative would be to take a long taxi ride to Tangier Med to catch that ferry over to Algeciras and from Algeciras, to take an expensive taxi ride back to Tarifa.

If you decide to go, please report on your findings!

Sorry I have no first hand experience. But I just thought I would chime in after reading Maribel’s excellent post above which echoes all I have heard about Tangier. Just hearsay I know, but I also read somewhere that one comparison would be that Tangier is to Morocco what Tijuana is to Mexico (the latter a country which I love btw and where I spent a lot of time for work).

A work colleague who is originally from Marrakech certainly does not think very highly of Tangier either …

All this to say that if you are going through anyways, it is probably ok but not worth a large amount of effort to go there, albeit briefly.

Just my own thoughts, others may think differently of course.

"one comparison would be that Tangier is to Morocco what Tijuana is to Mexico"
That, more of less, is my personal, recent experience, having gone to Tangier directly from Marrakech and Rabat. I would give Tangier 5 more years before I return.

I did this as a day trip from Tarifa last year and it was more interesting than I expected, especially if you like wandering food spots. The medina is smaller than Fez, yes, but I still spent a few hours just drifting between bakeries and little corners that felt very local. I went without a guide and it was fine, just a few polite “no thanks” moments, nothing overwhelming. For planning the crossing I checked the schedules from here which made it easier to pick a relaxed return time. For food, I skipped the obvious tourist places and ended up at a small spot near Petit Socco that had great pastilla and fresh msemen, nothing fancy but really good. If you enjoy slow wandering and snacking, it should be enough for a full day.

Daphni thank you...that is very interesting, because this is more or less what I want to do if I take the day trip.


I understand that Tangier may not be the most interesting city in the country, by a long shot, but I do think I'd like to visit. My situation is maybe different than some other travelers on this forum. I am staying for 18 nights in a hotel that is an hour from Tarifa. So I do not have to go far out of my way to get to Tangier--just drive to Tarifa and board the ferry, spend a few hours and return to Tarifa, then drive an hour back otherwise my hotel. If I were not so close to Tarifa, I would not consider for a minute taking this trip...

I had planned to go yesterday, despite the fact that it was still Ramadan and I suspected that some shops/eateries might be closed. I woke up around 6am (planning to take the 9am ferry) but when I checked the weather, I saw that a "yellow warning" was in place. (I later learned that this is a rather mild warning and I imagine there was no interruption of ferry services.).

I was hesitant to drive to Tarifa, not knowing if the ferry would run and, worse, as the winds were predicted to increase to speeds up to 60 km/h yesterday, I thought I might be stranded in Tanger and have to find a hotel for overnight..not the worst thing but something I wanted to avoid.

*****The biggest frustration was there there seems to be no way to find out if the ferries are, indeed, running. I called many times--the ferry company and the phone for the port of Tarifa, and got no response. Neither are there updates on the Balearia (company that runs the ferries) app.

So to make this long story short-ish, I decided to go back to sleep!!!

After next Monday's national holiday, I may have time either Tuesday or Wednesday to take the trip and if I do so, I will report back.

I'm not so keen on the Medina--I've been to Morocco before and wandered in Fez, Marrakech, etc--admittedly about 20 or more years ago...I just wanted to have a different experience for the day--try the pastries, bisteeya, m'semen..see the food market (is this at the Grand Socco??) and just do some walking around...I figured I'd catch the 9am ferry, which gets me there at 9am, and return at either 20m or 4pm.... There is a time change this weekend in Sain, I think, so will double check on that.

Apparently, the drive from where I am to Tarifa is a very easy one, so my view is that I have nothing to lose and might have a fairly interesting little expedition...and maybe bring home some spices, etc.

What about organ oil? I can buy this on Amazon--I've been told the best places to buy in Tanger would be in a supermarket, not in the Medina....but not even sure why I would buy it......anyone here a big fan of argan oil?/

Are there any other purchases I should look for---at this point I don't need any "handcrafts" or caftans and certainly no rugs!! (Although "not needing" is very different than "not buying!")

Maribel, your comments about waiting until after the FIFA games in 2030 made me smile....I certainly hope I will still be doing lots of traveling by then, but.....

We purchased argan oil in the Marrakech Medina at an herbal shop, an Herboriste in El Mellah (15 rue du Domaine) along with all sorts of medicinal "rubs" and Moroccan saffron (which we haven't yet used). You should find Herboristes around the pier where the Balearia ferry docks. There will be spice shops galore.

If you do decide to go, I'll be interested to know how the Marina Tanja Bay project is going and how many shops/cafés have now opened.
The Chiringuito Morocco there is supposed to be nice for evening cocktails, but our hotel offered a very nice 4-course evening meal for guests on Valentine's Day. Staying in the Maison with its garden and terrace was too tempting. We did see the El Morocco Club. We didn't purchase any pastries because our hotel had a nice buffet spread.

A comment from a recent travel article, "the Medina's whitewashed walls sparkle", we didn't find that the case, but again, we were comparing it to Rabat, which now, thanks to heavy financial investment from the King, Rabat looks quite spiffy.

But the Kasbah Collective has a lovely, tasteful selection of ceramics, wool blankets, clothing, art work, all made by local artisans, if you want to make the steep walk up. It's on Rue Kacem Guennoun. It's not in the least bit a tourist trinket shop, nor does it sell the handicrafts that we found in all the Marrakech souks. But I have a soft spot for curated pieces for the house. Web page: https://www.kasbahcollective.com

On the way up there, you'll pass the Donkey Museum. www.donkeymuseum.com

If you haven't been out to Cap Spartel and wish to see the views but not the touristy camel ride... (although you now have great evening views of the Strait and Morocco from the roof top terrace of El Califa in Vejer)..., I think a taxi can get you out quickly and back.

We didn't go to the new Kasbah Museum for the art display because we went to the Museum of Mohammed VI Modern & Contemporary Art Museum (again, the unfortunate comparison....we should have reversed our itinerary and started in Tangier, but in our case that was impossible...long story).
Nor did we go to the Villa Harris, which requires a taxi ride. Nor did we make it up to Cafe Hafa for mint tea with sea views (it was on my long "to do" list)

So after the.World Cup in 2030, I may be tempted to go back, but starting in Tangier, spending 2 days, then going on to Fez, Volubilis (we were schedule to do the Fez-Volubilis trip arranged by my BBF but couldn't---she loves it and goes to Morocco often with her clients), then Rabat, Marrakech (my 2 favorites) and add, Essaouira... Chefchaouen just doesn't hold much appeal and is a long trek from Tangier Med. It's Vejer's sister city.

If her package weren't so expensive, I would take the trip to Tangiers with Annie B's Cooking School in Vejer. Maybe you can search for some reviews of her Tangier excursion to see what places they visit. Annie uses a local guide, that I know.

https://www.anniebspain.com/getting-...gical-tangier/

ekscrunchy,
If I return in 2030, I'll stay again at the Maison de Tanger unless I'm convinced about the Hilton with its rooftop terrace pool (we saw it) or another new place. Our top floor suite 7 was quite spacious, the hotel has a wonderful art collection, a tiny spa room, a lady chef who prepares the ample breakfasts/dinners, it even has a difficult to obtain liquor license so can have a happy hour, and the hotel uses a very reliable taxi service.
By then there will be new eateries at the marina that we can try. We missed the Table du Marché.

Here's my photo album to give you an idea. As you can see I wasn't really inspired but again...last place on our itinerary

Our suite 7, Maison de Tanger

And sit out balcony on a sunny St Valentine's Day

The traditional Dar Harruch, restaurant, recommended by hotel

Traditonal live music here

Dar Harruch lunch, lamb skewer

We shared both items

night shot from hotel

The walk up to the Kasbah

Buy your medicinal remedies here

Morning shot from hotel

Ceramics shop in the Kasbah

The Kasbah Collective

Typical Kasbah street

Spices, anyone?

Those photos are so pretty.
I always wondered, though, in the last photo, there are jars filled with a bright blue (also bright pink) powder..can this be a spice? (I've seen similar in photos many times along with what looks like powder in colors that do not seem like an unadulterated spice and I doubt would be something like indigo (??)

And all those piles and jars have been pre-ground are just sitting out in the open....would it not be best (example, a local housewife)) to have them ground on the spot???

I didn't chat or do an interview with the shopkeeper, didn't take notes, didn't ask questions about all of his wares. I simply snapped a photo.

We didn't order pastilla//bisteeya/bastilla in Tangier, the traditional pie because we had enjoyed it many times in Marrakech and Rabat and had it at our hotel, which does admit non-hotel guests for its evening meals but non guests must arrange this in advance and leave a credit card as a guarantee.