Tangier

Spain is only 14 km away via the Strait of Gibraltar... This strategic location earned Tangier international status from 1923 to 1956, attracting all kinds of traffickers so often featured in old gangster films. But don't go looking for the city's ‘shady’ side - it disappeared a long time ago! It’s true that the city is booming. It has even become the second most important economic centre in Morocco after Casablanca, thanks to the gigantic port of Tangier Méditerranée, some fifty kilometres away.

The easiest way to visit Tangier is to follow in the footsteps of the illustrious artists who made its history. It all starts with a mint tea in the old-fashioned Café de Paris, with its 1950s decor inviting you on a charming trip down memory lane. From there, it's on to the vestiges of the Gran Teatro Cervantes. The theatre was inaugurated in 1913 and closed half a century ago. Good to know: Morocco recently announced its intention to restore the theatre’s blue and yellow azulejo façade and its worn velvet auditorium. 

Another must-see on a trip to Tangier is the Grand Socco, the vibrant heart of the city. 

If you've ever been to Marrakech, you'll notice that Tangier is different. Here, there are no reed roofs to protect you from the heat, and no jostling crowds. Instead, you wander through a maze of whitewashed houses, some yellow and some blue. The clean, airy alleyways leading down to the port are bathed in the soft light loved by so many painters. Craft shops and authentic dars (traditional houses) are hidden along the way. 

Book your plane ticket to Tangier from Montpellier! 

Sites and monuments

• The Kasbah, an ancient fortress with crenellated walls, overlooking the medina.
• The Grand Socco, the main square linking the medina and the modern city.
• The Petit Socco, the heart of the medina where the alleys converge, bustling with cafés.
• The Sidi-Bou-Abib mosque. Even if you don't go inside, you can admire its minaret covered with coloured tiles. 
• The Palace of Italian Institutions, known as Moulay Hafid Palace, is one of the most beautiful buildings in Tangier (1912) with its vast Arab-Andalusian patio.
• The old port is being renovated and is gradually giving way to a marina, shops and restaurants, and even a museum.
• Boulevard Pasteur, the city's main thoroughfare lined with shops, restaurants and French-style cafés.

Parks and beaches

• Mendoubia Gardens - a green space in the heart of the city to take a breather. Some of the trees are eight centuries old.
• The municipal beach (near the old port) with its calm waters, children's entertainment and water activities.
• Achakar beach, one of the most beautiful in Tangier, near Cape Spartel overlooked by a beautiful lighthouse.
• The viewpoint of Perdicaris, a natural site located at the gates of the city, with a lovely view of the Strait of Gibraltar. 

Museums

• The Dar el Makhzen, the former sultan's palace of the 17th century located in the heart of the Kasbah. It houses a museum dedicated to the history of Tangier.
• The Delacroix Gallery of the French Institute of Morocco - dedicated to contemporary art, hosting cultural events and exhibitions.
• The Lorin Foundation - photo exhibition in a former synagogue in the heart of the medina
• United States Legation - in the heart of the kasbah, this diplomatic building has been transformed into a museum exhibiting works of art and furniture.
• The Palais des Hôtes (former Forbes Museum) hosts a collection of 115,000 toy soldiers from around the world.

• At the gates of Tangier, Cape Spartel marks the dividing of the waters of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Nearby, you can visit the caves of Hercules, where the hero is said to have rested, before reviving your strength on the terrace of Hafa café, suspended above the ocean.
• Azure, cobalt or Majorelle ... Chefchaouen (85 km from Tangier) was daubed in blue some twenty years ago to attract visitors. A successful operation! At an altitude of 600 m, the stunning village perched in the Rif mountains, with its blue houses adorned with flowers, will amaze you. 

Starter

• Mechouia salad - tomatoes, peppers and onions, flavoured with coriander or cumin

   

Dishes

• Tajine - meat or fish, spicy or sweet and accompanied by vegetables, prunes, almonds, simmered and served in a terracotta dish.  
• Couscous - semolina accompanied by beef or mutton and vegetables (carrots, courgettes, turnips, beans, peas...)
• Pastilla - the holiday dish, puff pastry filled with chicken or pigeon mince (in its finest version), sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. 
• Kefta - beef or lamb skewers or meatballs

Desserts

• Pastries - inseparable from Morocco, they are innumerable: gazelle horn (filled with marzipan and scented with orange blossom), almond triangle, ghribiya (shortbread flavoured with lemon zest, orange).

Drinks

• Tea - green and very sweet, with mint.  
• Squeezed orange juice - a Moroccan classic. Beware of ice cubes and added water, which can cause intestinal problems!
• Wines* - They are mainly produced in the regions of Meknes and Casablanca. Among the reds and rosés, Guerrouane is one of the best known.
• Mahia* - an aniseed-flavoured fig alcohol that can be enjoyed as a digestive, or in cocktails with fruit juices.

*alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume in moderation