DAY TRIP IDEAS FROM TANGIER

When you travel to Tangier, it’s possible to use the city as a home base and do a day trip from there.  From an old cave to a blue city, there are a few day trip options worth trying out from Tangier.

Spain

Did you know that Tangier is just a short boat ride from Spain and the gateway to the rest of Morocco ? High-speed ferries can take just 30 (choppy) minutes to cross.

Spain is so close that we could see it from the Hotel Continental’s terrace. While we were in Chefchaouen, Zazou and his boys took the ferry to Spain. Although it was uneventful for them and had we not already planned our little side trip to Chefchaouen, I would have considered going to Spain, at least for the day.

There are different routes you can take to cross but below are the 2 major and popular ones.

Algeciras (Spain) to Tangier (Morocco): Algeciras to Tangier is the most popular route to Morocco. High-speed ferries travel almost every hour, year-round and take around 30 minutes to cross. There are also slower ferries that are a little cheaper. A roundtrip ticket for a foot passenger, on a high-speed ferry, costs 37 Euros.

Tarifa (Spain) to Tangier (Morocco): High-speed ferries leave every two hours from Spain’s windsurfing capital, Tarifa, and take 35 minutes to get to Tangier. FRS offers good service on this route, a round-trip adult ticket sets you back around 37 Euros.

Cap Spartel and the Cave of Hercules 

Located about thirty minutes outside of Tangier on the Atlantic Coast are Cap Spartel and the legendary Cave of Hercules. This is an easy day trip you can do from Tangier.

Cap Spartel

Cape Spartel is the most northwestern point in Africa and located just west of the city of Tangier. The iconic cape is very easy to spot and rises over 300m above the sea.

To get to Cap Spartel without a car, it’s best to go to the Grand Socco. You can hire a taxi there for 150 dirhams for a roundtrip fare. Most drivers will happily wait for an hour or so while you explore the cave and the area around it.

As beautiful as Cap Spartel is, it is also a bit of a tourist trap for Moroccans and non-Moroccans alike.

We actually drove there before heading out to Tétouan. We followed the shoreline and drove through a beautiful high-end residential area while following the signs. It is about a 30-minute drive. Parking was free.

We stopped on our way at Carrefour, a French supermarket, to get some supplies for the road. This is a major French grocery store line. So, if you are in the need for a supermarket in Morocco, look for a Carrefour, you’ll not be disappointed. This is where you can also buy alcohol.

While we were waiting around on the parking lot, we saw a horse run loose. He wasn’t injured, it was just an odd sight and quite entertaining actually.

The Caves of Hercules

Those familiar with Greek mythology might recall the 12 Labors of Hercules. In fact, not far from Tangier, there is another location rumored to be the basis for Hercules’ Eleventh Labor: the apples of Hesperides (or “the golden apple”). It was after he retrieved the “golden apple” that it is thought Hercules rested in this cave, at Cap Spartel. This cave is supposed to be his final resting spot. In mythologies, Tangier was founded by a Berber warrior named Sfax who is possibly the son of Hercules. He named the city Tingis after his mother.

Once again, we had trouble with parking. We parked on a residential street and even there, someone wanted money; we completely ignored him.

The entrance to the cave is supposedly 10 dirhams. We didn’t pay, we just walked in. There are some unremarkable shops to ignore at the beginning of the path leading down. However, if you look up, you can see where locals have carved out round stones from the cave walls for generations.

These stones were used in the milling of grains. Even more unimpressive is how the cave, in the shape of the continent of Africa, opens up and looks out toward the Atlantic. Avoid anyone trying to be a “guide” as this cave is fairly simple to navigate.

None of us were impressed by the caves but did enjoy the view.

Beach time

After enjoying the cave, relax at one of the many beachside cafes. Prices are a bit more expensive than most other cafes (about 10 dirhams for a tea), but the view on a nice day is unbeatable.

In between Cap Spartel and the Cave of Hercules lies a park on the shoreline. This is where the Atlantic Ocean embraces the Mediterranean. It is a nice place for a walk.

However, please note that you actually have to pay for parking. There will be a guy with a yellow vest that will require payment when you leave. We didn’t know and thought it was a scam, so we drove off leaving the man breath in our dust. So sorry old man.

Parking in Morocco is randomly priced by individuals with yellow vests. It is about 2dh to 5dh to park usually.

There are quite a few beaches between the Caves and Cap Spartel that you can stop at as part of your day trip from Tangier. The one we stopped at wasn’t too bad and this time we paid for parking, even though Junior had stayed in the car. We had fun messing around with the camera.

Tetouan

Tétouan, nicknamed the White Dove, is a city off the Mediterranean shores that is part of Unesco. Although we weren’t impressed by Tétouan we still enjoyed our pit stop there on our way to Chefchaouen.

Tétouan is easily accessible by bus from Tangier or you can get there by car.  The ride from Tangier is a little over 1 hour.

Chefchaouen

The town of Chefchaouen is located in the Rif mountains.  It’s about a 1h30 to 2hour drive by car from Tangier.  You can also use the bus to get there from Tangier, but it will take you a good 3 hours, one way.

We really enjoyed our visit of Chefchaouen and were glad to spend a night there.  Chefchaouen is a little gem of Morocco that still remains a little hidden.  Since its only accessible by car or by bus, not many tourists make the effort to get to it.  It is becoming increasingly popular but compared to other Moroccan cities, it still is fairly quiet there.

Although you can easily do a day trip from Tangier to Chefchaouen it would be a shame to only spend a day there. Try to spend at least one night there.

Rabat

Rabat is the capital of Morocco, and only 1h30 away by TGV train from Tangier. It is possible to do a day trip there from Tangier if you don’t have a whole lot of time. The train is super comfortable and a first-class ticket cost around $20CAD.

Personally, I loved the city of Rabat. Check out Le Dhow, a boat anchored right outside the Médina where you can enjoy the view and enjoy a drink and some yummy food.