Since childhood I wanted to visit Tangier,fascinating and vibrant city overlooking strait of Gibraltar .
This ancient Moroccan city on the coasts of Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean attracted Phoenician tradesmen from ancient time.They established this city in 10 th century BC as they had founded many famous cities along the North African Mediterranean coastline .
From thousands of years Berber communities, Arabs , Spanish , Portuguese , English and French people have come , controlled and influenced lifestyle and culture of this port city. Tangier was and is a major port of Africa , It boasts of a lively colourful mixed culturwhich attracts tourists from various countries.
We heard stories about famous Cafe Hafa and wanted to be there during sunset time , so rushed there after checking in to Hotel Hilton.We were lucky to get seats in this nice outdoor cafe residing on a cliff side with stunning panoramic view of Mediterranean sea. After spending some relaxing time with mint tea ,we ventured out for a stroll along the Malabata beach and had excellent local dinner on a rooftop restaurant.
Next day we went to visit cape Spartel , a breathtaking spot on north west Morocco, 12 kms away from Tangier city. Here one can enjoy fascinating view of Atlantic Ocean mixing with Mediterranean in front of the lighthouse situated there .
Little down the line is situated Hercules caves which is partially man made and partially natural. Mythological figure Hercules is stated to have taken rest here before completing his 11th of 12 labours. It is a moderate size cave and has many stalactites and stalagmites inside the cave and it has one with opening looking like map of Africa which attracts lots of visitors This cave has nominal entry fees.
Numerous white sandy beaches start from here along Atlantic coast till Asilah 50 kms away along which you can drive or enjoy camel rides.
After having coffee at Gran cafe de Paris, one of oldest cafés since 1927 where great authors like Paul Bowles and Tenessse Williams used to visit frequently , we started towards old Kasbah .
Old city or Kasbah has a maze of narrow twisting lanes and never ending paths where one will get lost surely without a local guide. However, after loitering for an hour and checking out numerous shops selling varieties of articles we reach one of the gates ( Bab in Arabic) overlooking fishing port of Tangier .
From here one can easily spot confluence of two continents at a distance – Spanish coast of Europe in front and African coast of Tangier.
Tangier has three ports presently and from passenger port ( ville)daily 20/30 ferries operate to Tarifa in Spain which is 18 kms away and take 30-60 minutes.
Tanger med port is connected to many cities in Spain and Italy by cruise liners too.
So it is easy to visit two continents in one day but one has to check whether he/ she has multiple entry Schengen visa ( if coming from Europe)and multiple entry Moroccan visa ( if going from Morocco and coming back) .
Next day we visited Grand Socco and had coffee and Moroccan mint tea at cafe Rif. Then wandered around medina ,Grand mosque,museum of American legation, and visited some modern shopping malls too. Evening we enjoyed municipal beach in front of our hotel and had lovely time walking and driving along the corniche of Tangier from Merkala beach to Malabata beach . This corniche is beautiful half neckless shaped bay front promenade dotted with numerous shops and restaurants and clubs.
After enjoying excellent hospitality of local people and getting soaked in breathtaking views of Atlantic and Mediterranean and savouring delicious local cuisine we left for Casablanca by road on next morning.
Where to stay
From good hostels,budget hotels to 5 star hotels all are available aplenty.Movenpick,
Grand,Fairmont,Royal tulip etc are good recommendations.We stayed at Hilton Garden inn near Malabata beach and it was excellent.Good rooms,amenities,bar and hospitality made us very comfortable.
How to reach
By Air – Tangier has own airport.
By Rail –Connected all over Morocco by ONCF rail.
By Ferry – Tarifa and Algeciras of Spain are connected to Tangier,likewise Gibralter,Cadiz etc.
By road – Roads are excellent.Day trips to Tangier are available from Casablanca,Rabat,Tetouan.
Many sightseeing tours are available as usual via Get your guide or Viator sites.
