How to get to Tangier?

How to get to the city of Tangier by different means of transport – by car, train, plane or ship.

By car

Tangier is located 252 km/2 hours 46 minutes by car northeast of Rabat, the capital of Morocco. The route is charged.

By train

It is connected to Casablanca, Morocco‚s largest city, by the high-speed TGV train, which travels at a speed of up to 320 km/h. So instead of the original 4 hours and 45 minutes, the journey takes only 2 hours and 10 minutes. The journey to Rabat was shortened from the original 3 hours and 45 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. You can buy tickets directly at railway stations in Morocco. The plan is to extend the line through Marrakesh to Agadir, 800 km southwest of Tangier. This will mean that the journey to Marrakech, which today takes more than 10 hours, will be shortened to 4 hours and 45 minutes.

By plane

I flew from Aeroport de València in Valencia, Spain to L’aéroport international de Tanger-Ibn Batouta in Tangier, Morocco. The flight lasted an average of 1 hour and 25 minutes. Due to the time difference of 1 hour, the flight actually took 25 minutes there and 2 hours and 20 minutes back. The return ticket cost 143.96 euros. The price included 1 checked bag up to 20 kg and 1 hand bag that fit under the seat in front of me. In addition, I could choose a seat on the plane both on the way there and back. I checked in online a few days before my flight.

Read in the article Morocco before the 1st visit what I experienced at Tangier airport!

By ship

The Spanish city of Tarifa (40 km northeast) is only 45 minutes away by ferry from Tangier. The route crosses country borders and the starting point (Tarifa) is in a different time zone.

What to do, see and visit in Tangier?

When visiting Tangier, don’t miss the old town (medina) with its gates, viewpoints and adjacent squares. You can also choose from museums, galleries, cultural centers or just relax on the beach.

Old Town (Medina)

We will start the tour of Tangier by entering through the gate (Bab Al Kasba) in the northwestern part of the medina. The fortress tower (Borj Al Kasba) stands on the left in front of the gate. After entering, you will find yourself at the Spanish Camp Square (La place du Tabor espagnol). The dominant feature of the square is the Borj Naam tower, which houses the exhibition dedicated to Ibn Battouta (Espace d’Exposition de la mémoire d’Ibn Battouta). He was an important traveller of the 14th century. In 29 years, he travelled to the current 44 countries from North Africa to the Far East.

Kasbah Museum or Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Cultures (Musée de la Kasbah)

Continue west from the exhibition and you will pass the Governor’s Palace (Le palais du gouverneur) on your right. It currently provides its premises for the city’s archaeological museum and exhibition spaces for contemporary art (Musée de la Kasbah – Espace d’art contemporain). It maps the history of the city from prehistoric times to the 19th century. Explanations are only in Arabic and French. Unfortunately, the website of the National Museum Foundation is only in French. The entrance to the museum is from the Place de la Kasbah square. The ticket costs 20 mad/2 euros/person.

The gates of the Place de la Kasbah square

Three gates open onto the square. The Bab Al Bahr Sea Gate in the northern part of the square allows you to step out of the medina and enjoy the view of the new fishing port and the Strait of Gibraltar. Opposite it, in the southern part of the square, is the Bab el-Assa gate, which will take you deeper into the medina. Finally, there is the 3rd Bab Haha gate, beyond which after a few meters you will find yourself in the inconspicuous Place Amrah square, which leads to several streets of the medina. The main street still belongs to traditional craft workshops.

Mendoubia Garden and Grand Square (Grand Socco)

When you finally emerge from the narrow streets of the medina, the vast Mendoubia Garden (Le Jardin de la Mendoubia) opens up before you. The garden invites you to lie down on the grass and enjoy sweet idleness. Another gate (Bab al Fahs) separates it from Grand Socco or Place 9 Avril 1947 square.

The square got its name thanks to the speech of King Mohammed V, who arrived in Tangier on April 9, 1947. At that time, the city had international status, and the king expressed the country’s desire for unity and independence in his speech. This event affected not only the city, but the whole of Morocco. The square connects the old and new city of Tangier. The square is dominated by the historic building of the Rif cinema (Cinémathèque de Tanger – Cinéma RIF), which is still in operation. Since for me the square was the real center of the city, I chose it as a starting point for the individual attractions, businesses and institutions listed below.

Rue Siaghine

The busy shopping street Rue Siaghine, an important axis of the medina, connects the large Grand Socco square with the small Petit Socco square.

Small Square (Petit Socco)

The small square (Petit Socco; 300 m/4 minutes walk northeast of Grand Socco), located in the heart of the medina, is lined with cafes. If you’re lucky like we were, you’ll see an acrobatic family performing their latest rehearsed stunts. I recommend a glass of hot mint tea and something sweet to go with it at sunset on the roof of a 4* hotel in the eastern part of the square.

La terrasse des paresseux/Place Faro

From the square Place Faro or the terrace La terrasse des paresseux you will have an interesting view of the port of the city. You can recognize the lookout by the 4 cannons that are ready to attack the enemy coming from the sea. I read that from the viewpoint you can see as far as Gibraltar in good weather, we were not so lucky though.

What else to do, see and visit in Tangier?

In the city of Tangier, you can also visit the Tangier American Legation Museum (350 m/4 minutes on foot east of Grand Socco). Morocco was one of the first countries to recognize the United States of America a year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The ticket costs 20 mad/2 euros/person for Moroccans and foreigners with permanent residence in Morocco and 50 mad/5 euros/person for foreigners without permanent residence. A guided tour costs 100 mad/10 euros. Almost the entire bay of Tangier is bordered by a wide public sandy beach with a promenade and children’s playgrounds, which is especially popular with locals. Entrance to the beach is free. All lovers of culture and art will definitely find a cultural center and several art galleries in the city.

What to do, see and visit around Tangier?

Around the city of Tangier, follow in the footsteps of Hercules in the Caves of Hercules, see the place where the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea meet at Cape Spartel or „cool off“ in the Perdicaris Park.

Caves of Hercules

Hercules Caves are located 15 km/23 minutes by car southwest of Grand Socco. Legend has it that in these caves Hercules rested after completing the 10th difficult task, which was the separation of the European and African continents (known as the Pillars of Hercules). According to another legend, he separated the continents from each other only because he did not want to cross the Atlas Mountains. He then allegedly kicked the cave wall, in which you can still see a hole to this day. The shape of the hole in the wall resembles the shape of Africa. When you look from the inside, it will be obvious to you that Africa has a slightly different shape, you have to look at the opening from the sea.

There is another legend which believes a tunnel leads from the caves to Spain, which explains how the African macaques got to Gibraltar.

Useful information

Before the trip to the caves, they advised us to take some extra clothes, because it would be a little colder in the caves. No, you really don’t need to take any extra clothes in the summer months. At the end of July, I hardly noticed the difference between the temperature outside and inside. The caves are a little different from caves in Slovakia. They had placed lights under the tiled floor, which illuminated the cave effectively. Also, don’t expect any drops or karst formations.

In the cave, you can wear traditional Moroccan clothing and take a photo in it. There were several stalls with souvenirs. The whole visit reminded me of an amusement park. They call them caves because there are actually two of them. One is free to enter and the other costs 10 mad/1 euro/person. We visited the free one. For an additional fee, you can expect to see artificial statues, Greek murals and a waterfall.

Cape Spartel

Cape Spartel (14 km/23 minutes by car west of Grand Socco) is often cited as the most northwestern point of continental Africa. The symbol of the cape is the lighthouse, which is still functional today. It marks the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The lighthouse is not accessible to the public from the inside. Since it is a nature reserve of the same name, you will see a spectacular natural theater in and out of the location. The Atlantic meets the Mediterranean here. At the point of collision, water eddies occur that drag the ships to the bottom. Apart from the lookout and the restaurant, this place doesn’t have much to offer, but you should definitely not miss it on your way to or from Hercules Caves.

Perdicaris Park

Perdicaris Park (or also Rmilat Park; 7 km/17 minutes by car west of Grand Socco) is a botanical garden where Mediterranean and Atlantic flora flourish. The park was named after Ion Perdicaris, a wealthy American of Greek origin. He had the park built for his wife, who had fallen ill with tuberculosis. They recommend visiting the park in the afternoon and early evening, when we also visited the park. Still, I’ll never forget how hot it was. The trees did not provide the much needed coolness. You can see the Atlantic from some places in the park.

Where to stay in Tangier?

We were supposed to arrive in Casablanca on Sunday, July 24, 2022 around lunchtime. From there, the organizers of the summer academy ensured a transfer to Tangier. Of course, I always have to be different and that’s why I flew straight to Tangier on Sunday morning. So I had the whole day to myself. I did not know then that it was also the last day when I had a free schedule. So by the time everyone else arrived, I had had time to settle in, wash my things and play loud music for the entire campus. One would get the feeling that I have been living in the dormitory of the institute for a few months.

The dormitory of the Higher International Institute of Tourism in Tangier

The dormitory of the Higher International Institute of Tourism in Tangier (Institut supérieur international du tourisme de Tanger in French, abbreviated ISITT; 3.8 km/47 minutes walk southeast of Grand Socco) became my 2nd home for one week. We had a choice of single or double rooms. I chose a single room, got a double room, but, luckily, without another roommate (if I don’t count the ants). The room with a sink had a view of the garden of the complex. There was a shower with a toilet on each floor. Only cold water ran in the shower on our floor, hot water was available on the floor above.

However, this shower was usually still occupied by someone. On the last day, I also managed to snatch it. But the shower pressure was so low that I regretted not taking a cold shower on my floor. The rooms did not have air conditioning. They had sliding windows. Since I also caught a fever in Morocco, I needed to sleep with the window closed for one or two nights. When I wanted to close the window on one side, it opened on the other and vice versa. There was such a hole under the door that I was in a constant draught during my entire stay. Otherwise, almost nothing bothered me there. 😛

Where to eat and where to go for coffee in Tangier?

In Tangier, we mostly ate at the institute. In addition, we tried several establishments – a modern restaurant, a traditional restaurant, fast food, several cafes and a bar. I will touch upon at least some of them.

Café Restaurant Vintage Tanger

I visited Café Restaurant Vintage Tanger (3.2 km/40 minutes walk east of Grand Socco) several times – the first day for a coffee break and dinner, and the penultimate day for tea. On the first days, I didn’t have an upset stomach yet, so I was able to enjoy a full dinner and a cake with coffee. In the restaurant, they prepare an incredibly good lava cake, which they serve with vanilla ice cream here. I ordered an espresso for dessert.

For dinner I tried the traditional Moroccan Tajine dish. These are ground beef balls in tomato sauce. I noticed that in the country they serve bread or pastry with almost every meal. Dinner was also fantastic. Well, on the penultimate day, when I prescribed a strict diet to myself, I only ordered Moroccan mint tea at Vintage, unsweetened in my case. I’m attaching a photo of how they serve it here, because I really liked it. You can pay by credit card in the restaurant.

Restaurant Bachir

Restaurant Bachir (750 m/10 minutes walk south of Grand Socco) is one of the best traditional Moroccan restaurants, recommended by locals (and travel guides). And wrong they were not . One evening we went out into town and got over the loss of dinner at the institute. As my stomach problems were at their peak at the time, I opted for the Vegetable Tajine with a whole teapot of mint tea. Vegetables were complemented by potatoes.

I regret that I could not appreciate the taste of the food. Abroad, they use spices completely differently than in Slovakia. Another thing I noticed in Morocco was that food and hot drinks are always brought to your table so hot that they are still bubbling in the plate and in the glass. I paid about 40 mad/4 euros for the bill. I paid in cash, so I can’t tell you for sure if the restaurant accepts credit cards.

Prestige Garden

After arriving in Morocco, we had breakfast at the Prestige Garden cafe (3 km/40 minutes walk southeast of Grand Socco). I ordered a traditional breakfast which included: wholemeal bread, baghrir (a pancake made from semolina or flour, if you bake it properly it is leaky), rghayef (traditional flat bread), harcha (semolina bread), butter, honey, jam and a molten cheese. Of course, there was mint tea, coffee and orange juice. I would easily get used to this kind of breakfast.

Canteen of the institute

The organizer provided food for us in the form of full board. Breakfast was mostly similar to what I mentioned in the paragraph above. We always had a choice of water, juice and hot drinks, which included sweetened or unsweetened Moroccan tea and coffee to drink. Breakfast was followed by lectures, which were separated by a small coffee break. During it, we refreshed ourselves with hot drinks and sweet pastries or cakes. Two-course lunches consisted of a cold starter, usually a salad, and a main course. Also, 2-course dinners included soup and a main course.

I do not remember all the dishes that we had the opportunity to taste, but among them were, for example Groat soup with milk, Beef sausages with tomato sauce, baked potatoes and Moroccan-style rice (with cinnamon and sugar). I tasted some fantastic food on the last day. It was a puff pastry pie filled with minced meat and pistachios. It’s just a shame that Moroccans are such lovers of sweet food that they also poured honey and sprinkled sugar on this salty cake.

In conclusion…

I spent a pleasant week in Tangier, not only in terms of accommodation and food, but also getting to know the attractions of the city and its surroundings.

Read more articles from Morocco:

• Morocco before the 1st visit
• The archaeological site of Lixus near the city of Larache
• Chefchaouen – 50 shades of blue
• Tétouan – Andalusia in Morocco

The article was created in cooperation with FIJET and FIJET Slovakia.

Please keep in mind that some of the information may be subject to change.

© Ing. Adam Vanečko

Príspevok Tangier – gateway to Africa je zobrazený ako prvý na Adam Vanecko Traveller Food & Travel Blog.

Basic information

Morocco (the official name of the state is the Kingdom of Morocco, which was established on March 2, 1956) is located in northwestern Africa. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. It borders on Algeria to the east and Western Sahara to the south.

Morocco is 9 times larger (446,550 km2) and has almost 7 times more inhabitants (more than 35 million) than Slovakia. The capital is Rabat (1.6 million inhabitants), which is almost 4 times larger than Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. But, the largest city is Casablanca (3.36 million inhabitants), which is almost 8 times larger than Bratislava. The state establishment is a constitutional monarchy. The international country codes are MAR and MA.

Territorial division of Morocco

Administratively, Morocco is divided into 16 regions. From the point of view of tourism, it is divided into 6 regions:

• The North Cape and the Mediterranean coast
• Central Morocco
• Atlantic coast
• Atlas Mountains and valleys
• Souss Atlantic Sahara
• South Atlantic coast

Morocco and language

The official languages are Arabic and Berber. Standard Moroccan Amazigh or Standard Moroccan Tamazight also known as Standard Moroccan Berber is the standardized national Moroccan variety of the Berber language. Berber languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic language family. It is a group of related languages spoken by the Berbers. This ethnic group originates from North Africa. Moroccan Arabic, Hassaniya Arabic and French are also spoken in Morocco. Some Moroccans also know English and Spanish.

When we commented that there were only explanations in Arabic and French at the archaeological site of Lixus and that we lacked explanations in English, the technical guide (if I can call him that) warned me that when I travel abroad, I should be multilingual. So I told him that I spoke 5 languages and I was sorry that Arabic and French were not among them. He had nothing more to add on that.

Time zone in Morocco

In Morocco, 1 hour is added to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in the case of winter time and 2 hours in the case of summer time. This means that one hour is subtracted from the Central European Time (CET), which we use in Slovakia.

Morocco and visa requirements

A visa is not required before entering Morocco from Slovakia. But you need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the day of entry into the country.

Morocco and vaccination

You do not need any special vaccination before entering Morocco (e.g. against yellow fever, typhoid, viral hepatitis B, …) from Slovakia. At the moment (August 2022) there are only special requests regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. All travellers over the age of 12 entering Morocco by air must present:

• valid vaccination certificate – while no more than 4 months have passed since the administration of the 2nd dose, in case they have passed, the passenger must have a new dose of the vaccine,
• or a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours before boarding the plane
• and health form – you can find the form at https://www.onda.ma/form.php. You fill it out online, then save it and print it, because it is not sent anywhere, and you hand it in at the airport upon arrival. If you do not have the form filled out after entering the country, you will fill it out at the airport.

Immediately upon arrival at Moroccan airports, you may be subjected to a quick test. PCR tests may also be performed randomly for groups of passengers. The authorities will inform you about the test result later. In the case of positive tests, it is necessary to remain in quarantine at the place of accommodation and follow the instructions of the Moroccan authorities. The Ministry of Health of Morocco recommends wearing masks in crowded or closed spaces. The rules can change quickly, so it’s better to check them again just before departure.

Healthcare in Morocco

They will provide you with the necessary first aid free of charge. For more serious injuries, it is recommended to visit private clinics. Before travelling to the country, I took out short-term travel insurance. The one-time insurance premium cost 27.50 euros/11 days. The price included insurance valid worldwide, medical costs up to 250,000 euros, mountain and water rescue costs, legal aid, assistance services, common summer and winter sports, missed means of transport, delayed return from abroad, luggage insurance, accident and liability for damage. Fortunately, I didn’t have to claim any of that.

Foreign exchange conditions and currency in Morocco

The official currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD). One Moroccan dirham is equal to 0.096 euros. One euro is equal to 10.43 Moroccan dirhams. Prices in Morocco are easily converted. If you want to know how much a given item costs in Slovakia, just move the decimal point one place to the left. I didn’t change money in Slovakia, because the exchange offices I visited don’t buy this currency, and I didn’t change it in Valencia either, because they needed to know at least a few days in advance.

I changed the money immediately after arriving at Tangier airport. It is always a good idea to have some cash in the local currency with you. In some places I could also pay by credit card. In case you don’t have the local currency and the seller doesn’t have a terminal, I could also pay in euros and they gave me change in dirhams.

Calling and Internet in Morocco

The phone code for Morocco is +212, the price for sent SMS and MMS is 0.35 euros. The price for outgoing and received calls is 2.50 euros/1 minute. A two-minute call with my mom cost me 5 euros. 😀

1 MB of transferred data costs 9 euros with a billing interval of 10 KB. I have a prepaid data package on the second phone, which I mainly use abroad. However, after entering Morocco, I did not realize that I can only use data in the European Union. Logging in to gmail and sending one e-mail cost me 50 euros. Data transfer in roaming stopped after reaching this amount. At least that’s how I set it up. Then I finally asked for the Wi-Fi password. The network was quite fast to my surprise. You can find free Wi-Fi internet connection in several places in the country.

A friend bought a Moroccan SIM card upon arrival. She paid around 10 euros. Then, she had a choice of 10 hours of internet or 10 GB of data or 10 hours of calls or 100 SMS. She chose what she needed and they activated it for her.

Security in Morocco

Street crime is common in Morocco. Watch out for pickpockets, snatching bags and purses or stealing cars is common. We met begging people in the streets. You can recognize them by the sanitary napkins they give you for money. Most of the time you beat them off with one „no„, but we also met one persistent girl who we only got rid of after we threatened to call the police.

Representative Office of the Slovak Republic, Representative Office of the Country for the Slovak Republic and Honorary Consulate

In case of urgent need in Morocco, you can contact the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Madrid, Spain. The Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco is located in Vienna, Austria. The Slovak Consular Office is located in Casablanca, Morocco.

How to get to Morocco?

See how to get to Morocco by road or by air.

By car

The journey by car from Bratislava to Rabat is 3,273 km long and would take 33 hours without a break. The route is subject to a charge, includes ferry transportation and contains roads with limited use. It leads across country borders, so check the border restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic before leaving. Rabat is of course in a different time zone. Such a journey could certainly be adventurous, but I probably wouldn’t take it. That’s why I preferred the plane.

By plane

I flex from Aeroport de València in Valencia, Spain to L’aéroport international de Tanger-Ibn Batouta in Tangier, Morocco. The flight lasted an average of 1 hour 25 minutes. Due to the time difference of 1 hour, the flight actually took 25 minutes there and 2 hours 20 minutes back. The return ticket cost 143.96 euros. The price included 1 checked bag up to 20 kg and 1 hand bag that fit under the seat in front of me. In addition, I could choose a seat on the plane both on the way there and back. I checked in online a few days before my flight.

When flying in the European Union, I broke away from a habit to those endless checks at airports. After arriving in Morocco, I went through several security checks. Immediately after arriving at the airport, I submitted the medical form, then at the next window the airport employee asked me where I would be staying, at the next window they checked the stamp from the employee from the previous window, then they checked my suitcase and hand luggage, …About an hour after arriving, I finally got out of the airport. They were waiting for me at the airport with a sign with my name on it, but I was so tired I didn’t even notice.

On the way back, the airport employee asked me where I was from and could not understand why I was flying to Valencia and even a day later. So I had to explain to him that there is no direct air connection between Morocco and Slovakia and that I could not catch the flight from Valencia that day. He finally let me go.

Also read these articles from Morocco:

• Tangier – gateway to Africa
• The archaeological site of Lixus near the city of Larache
• Chefchaouen – 50 shades of blue
• Tétouan – Andalusia in Morocco

Useful link:

The official tourist portal of Morocco

I did not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage of the services provided by tourism businesses, institutions and organizations.

© Ing. Adam Vanečko

Príspevok Morocco before the 1st visit je zobrazený ako prvý na Adam Vanecko Traveller Food & Travel Blog.