Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma Travel Guide
A blue-painted street in Chefchaouen's medina. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
This is Morocco's Mediterranean north, where the Strait of Gibraltar narrows to 14 km and Europe feels close enough to touch. Tangier, the old International Zone (1923 to 1956), has reinvented itself as a polished port city with a superb medina and the Al Boraq high-speed rail link south.
Inland, the Rif mountains hold Chefchaouen, the blue city founded in 1471 as a fortress against the Portuguese, and Tétouan, whose medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1997). The coast runs from Asilah's mural-painted medina to the wild beaches near Al Hoceima.
Destinations in Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma
Chefchaouen medinaThe blue-washed medina in the Rif foothills.
Tétouan medinaThe Andalusian medina, UNESCO-listed since 1997.
Tangier KasbahThe citadel above the strait: the Kasbah Museum in Dar el Makhzen.
Plaza Uta el-HammamChefchaouen's main square under the kasbah walls.
AsilahThe mural-painted medina and its summer arts festival.
Akchour waterfallsThe Rif canyon pools and God's Bridge, from Chefchaouen.
Cap SpartelThe lighthouse point where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean.
Café HafaThe cliffside café (1921) with mint tea over the Strait.
Petit SoccoThe little square of the old International Zone's writers and spies.
Al Hoceima coastMediterranean coves by the national park.
Caves of HerculesThe sea cave with its Africa-shaped opening.
Hover a region to explore it. Click a city pin to open its guide.
Top Cities & towns in Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma
Regional food
- Grilled fish and calamari on the Tangier corniche
- Bissara (fava bean soup, a Rif breakfast)
- Goat cheese from the Chefchaouen hills
Getting there
Tangier Ibn Battouta (TNG) is 12 km southwest. The Al Boraq high-speed line runs Tangier to Casablanca (about 2h10) via Rabat. Ferries cross from Algeciras and Tarifa to Tanger-Med. CTM buses link Tangier, Tétouan, Chefchaouen and Fès.