Tangier: Our Honest Take on Africa’s Fascinating Gateway
Tangier is one of Morocco’s largest, most fascinating and diverse cities.
With thousands of years of conquest and occupation, it’s an eclectic hot-pot of Arab, Spanish, Portuguese and French culture, a mix that offers perhaps the greatest variety in terms of atmosphere, sights and architecture out of any other destination we visited during our trip.
We spent a few days exploring Tangier and trying to see as much as we could of what the city had to offer. Here’s what our time there was like was like, what we liked the most and what not as much, and what our overall thoughts are on visiting this gateway to the African Continent.
Let’s get started!
Getting to Tangier is easy, moving around the city however…
Being one of the most important cities in Morocco, Tangier is easily reachable via its large international airport.
In our case, we took advantage of the country’s awesome railway network and took a 20 minute train ride from Rabat to Kenitra, where we switched to a high-speed train that took us to Tangier in only 50 minutes. Overall, going from all the way from Rabat to Tangier cost us a total of 380MAD for two one-way tickets.
Moving around Tangier, however, proved to be a bit trickier compared to other Moroccan cities we had previously visited. This is due in part to how huge the city is, but also due to the intense traffic and the fact that most points of interest are spread pretty far apart from each other. The airport, for example, is over 8 miles (14 km) away from the medina and the city centre, and will take you almost an hour and a half to reach with public transport!
While the public transport network is not that bad, by far the easiest way to move around is by taxi. The only problem is that taxi drivers will absolutely up their fees for foreigners, so negotiating the price upfront is a must. For rides between 1 to 2 miles, expect the starting price to start around 50 MAD and to pay at least between 30 and 40 MAD after negotiating.
Since they usually stop along the way to pick up more passengers, taxi drivers will also tend to charge you more if you’re in larger groups.
You might have heard that many travellers in Morocco use ride-hailing apps such as inDrive and Careem. What you should know is that, while the apps work and can be downloaded, they are actually illegal in Morocco and you risk getting yourself in a sticky situation if you’re caught using them.
Tangier is amazing, but doesn’t always feel very welcoming
Our accommodation was in the middle of Tangier’s medina, so we spent quite a bit of time wandering through the labyrinth of tiny streets and alleyways.
While the medina is extremely local, some parts tended to have a slightly off vibe that didn’t always make us feel very comfortable when wandering around, especially at night and around the Grand Socco. We noticed that people observed us a lot more, and it kept us more on edge than we normally would have been.
It also didn’t help that someone tried to scam us not even a minute after we left our accommodation by claiming that he was the brother of the owner and that he had a great shop to show us. When we refused and started walking away he tried to pull the classic “that road is closed” trick. We were also constantly approached by dealers, which definitely got a bit tiring after a while.
However, we absolutely loved our accommodations in Tangier! We stayed in two different traditional riads while we explored the city: Riad Tingis, with the highlight being its amazing terrace, and Zoco Riad, a family owned business with the best people and service.
We absolutely loved our stay at Zoco Riad!
This small family-run business really made us feel extremely welcome and treated us to some of the most generous breakfasts we’ve had during our travels in Morocco.
Wander through the old kasbah and climb the Steps of Doom
Tangier might have some iffy spots, but that’s not to say that it doesn’t have any amazing sights.
The kasbah (fortified citadel) that occupies the northern part of the medina makes for a fascinating dive into Tangier’s tumultuous past. Several gateways, such as the Bab Al Bahr (the Gate to the Sea), offer amazing views over the Straight of Gibraltar, and are the perfect location from which to catch a stunning sunset. On sunny days you can even see Spain on the other side!
On a side note, there is a large pack of stray dogs that sometimes wanders around the area. They are friendly but can also be a bit rowdy, chasing cats and barking at passing cars, so they could be a bit much if you’re uncomfortable around dogs.
Down below, you’ll find the Rue de la Plage Merkala, a long coastal road bordered by the sea on one side and rocky cliffs on the other. If you follow this road away from the port, you’ll eventually see what looks to be a narrow staircase carved into the stone that climbs up the rock face.
This feature, nicknamed the Steps of Doom, is one of Tangier’s most unique (and dangerous) sights. After you make your way up the slippery and extremely narrow steps, all the way to the top of the cliff, you’ll come to a makeshift path that continues along the edge of the overhang. Here you’ll have to really watch your footing, since a bad slip could potentially send you tumbling a good 70 feet down to the street below.
We climbed up the steps without knowing what they were or where they led and, while fun, it was overall a pretty nerve-racking experience. You’ll see locals walking up and down as if it was nothing, but don’t get fooled into believing that it’s easy or safe. If you’re uncomfortable with heights it’s better you stick with admiring the staircase from the street!
If you make it all the way to the end of the path you’ll come out by the Phoenician Tombs, a small ancient Roman necropolis. The tombs carved into the stone make for a pretty interesting sight (even though they are often filled with water if its been raining), but its the view over the Straight of Gibraltar that really makes it worth checking out this spot, especially at sunset.
And good news, there is a perfectly serviceable street that will lead you back inside the city, so no need to climb down the steps on the way back.
Wish we had known that before…
Take the Hop-On Hop-Off bus and explore the outskirts of Tangier
Some of Tangier’s most famous sights are not located within the city but rather on the outskirts, a good 8 to 10 miles from the city centre.
However, they are a bit difficult to reach through normal means, since taxi drivers will make you pay a fortune and public transports will take a few hours to get you there. The easiest way to see these unique destinations is, funny enough, to buy a ticket for the Hop-On Hop-Off bus.
Now, Hop-On Hop-Off busses are generally not our thing, but we found that the one in Tangier was definitely worth it: It only costs 14 dollars per person for a 48 hour ticket, and will take you on a two hour tour along Parc Perdicaris, Jardin Donabo, Cap Spartel and, finally, the legendary Cave of Hercules, where it then loops back and covers the sights again in the opposite direction.
You can get out at any stop and explore each location at ease, since there is a bus every hour.
For more information on this Hop On Hop Off experience in Tangier, check out our detailed article about our experience, so that you can decide if this is for you!
Is Tangier worth visiting?
Tangier was an incredibly interesting destination to visit, even though it was sometimes a bit of a mixed bag.
It is not really a touristic city, and you’ll definitely notice. It lacks the infrastructure to allow you to move around easily, and we occasionally attracted more attention than what we intended to. Tangier is also very chaotic, which can become a bit overwhelming.
On the other hand, it is an extremely culturally rich city, and an amazing destination to experience the real Morocco. Not to mention that the sights we visited, especially the ones located on the outskirts, were some of the most memorable we saw during our trip.
Overall we feel like we only scratched the surface of what Tangier has to offer, and we’re really looking forward to going back!
What about you, ever been to Tangier? If so, what was your experience like?
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While planning your visit to Tangier, you might have noticed that some of its most recommend sights are not located within the city, but rather a ways out into the outskirts. Apart from renting a car, the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus might just be the easiest solution..