In the vicinity
There are two headlands in Tangier you should visit to admire magnificent sunrises and sunsets; great occasions for peaceful and romantic walks.
Cap Spartel
This spot, about 12km from Tangier, is ideal for admiring the sun setting on the Atlantic Ocean. On the way, you can stop to visit the Hercules Cave. According to legend, this mythical Greek half-god rested here after digging the Strait of Gibraltar. The cave floods at high tide. The entrance has the shape of an upside map of Africa. There is a restored Roman site just 500m away. It is the old town of Cotta where the ruins of its temple and the hot-baths remain. Cap Spartel is covered by cork oak, broom and eucalyptus. There is also a fine lighthouse built in 1865.
Cap Malabata
This spot, 10 km from Tangier, is ideal for admiring the sun rising over the Mediterranean. The road leading to Cap Malabata lighthouse is lined with creeks and deserted sandy beaches and has magnificent views of the Strait of Gibraltar and the Spanish coastline. From the lighthouse, you have a splendid view of the town and the bay of Tangier. Further along the same road, you should stop in Ksar Es-Seghir, a small fishing harbour with its colourful and lively Saturday souk. Not far away, a beautiful sandy beach awaits you.
To remember
In Tangier, the sea meets the ocean and the sun to form a magical trio.
A mythical destination
Tangier retains its powerful charm to this day… From the previously nefarious alleys in the Petit Socco area to the many café terraces which are more than ever avant-gardist.
Tangier the white
The tangier medina has always fascinated artists. Eugène Delacroix, Henri Matisse, Paul Bowles, Tennessee Williams, Jean Genet… the list can be continued. All have fallen for the charm of Petit Socco Square and its cafés, especially the famous Tingis, despite the nefarious reputation acquired during the period when casinos and dance halls abounded. The old Mendoub Palace, built in 1929, situated to the North of the medina, is now a mansion for foreign VIPs. The museum of the old American Legation is in the Southern extremity. Paintings are on display and one room is dedicated to the American writer Paul Bowles. You should leave the medina by Grand Socco Square, a lively spot in the evening, and enter the new town.
The new town
You can enjoy a pleasant walk in the Mendoubia Park situated north of Grand Socco Square. A giant banyan tree and a dragon tree, alleged to be 800 years old, highlight the visit. Take rue de la Liberté, a shopping thoroughfare, to the Place de France which is the heart of the modern town. There you will find the celebrated Grand Café de Paris and the El Minzah Hotel which both were haunts of the famous names of arts and literature of the 19th and early 20th centuries. This spot is still very fashionable. You will have an amazing view of the medina and the port and bay of Tangier from Faro Square with its canons. The mythical Hafa café overlooks the Strait of Gibraltar from the top of the cliff.
To remember
To visit Tangier is to go back in time while remaining avant-gardist.
