Where to stay in Tangier
Medina, Kasbah, bay or beach: choosing your area
Where you stay in Tangier depends on what you plan to do. In the medina and around the Kasbah, Dar Niaba and the Kasbah museums are close by. The city's bay lies between Cap Spartel and Cap Malabata, and the beaches suit a slower stay. If you sail from Tanger Med, remember that the port lies about 40 km east of the city.
On this page
In the medina
Stay in the medina if the old town is what you came for. Its walls and the Great Mosque have been protected as heritage since 1940, and at the foot of the high walls of the Kasbah run the alleys of the Grand Socco.
Dar Niaba stands at 41 Rue Siaghine in the old medina. Sultan Moulay Slimane gave the building to France in 1816, and today it is a museum, open 10:00-18:00 and closed on Tuesdays. More on the medina page.
Around the Kasbah
The Kasbah is the fortress that dominates the medina, and its square, Place de la Kasbah, has been protected since 1947. Two museums stand on it: the Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Cultures and the Espace d'art contemporain, which occupies a 17th-century prison that remained in use until the 1970s.
Both open 10:00-18:00 and close on Tuesdays, like Dar Niaba and Villa Harris. If you are in town on a Tuesday, the American Legation stays open: Monday to Friday 10:00-17:00, and 10:00-15:00 at weekends. More on the Kasbah page.
The old town after dark
Pickpocketing and bag-snatching are common in tourist areas, especially in medina quarters and on beaches, and thieves on motorcycles grab visible jewellery and handbags. If you stay in the old town, avoid quiet streets, particularly after dark, and do not carry large amounts of money or valuables.
People posing as guides often approach visitors in the medina. If you use a guide there, make sure they have an official badge and permission from the local authority. Local laws, taxis and driving are covered on the safety page.
Along the bay
Tanger Ville, the port in the city, lies at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, in a bay between Cap Spartel and Cap Malabata where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. Since December 2010 only cruise ships and fast ferries have berthed there, so if you arrive on a fast ferry, the bay is where you step ashore.
Villa Harris also looks out to sea. Built at the end of the 19th century by Walter Burton Harris, a correspondent for The Times, it faces the Mediterranean from Boulevard Mohammed VI and is now an art museum, open 10:00-18:00 and closed on Tuesdays.
Near the beaches
Cap Malabata, Dalia Beach and Cape Spartel Beach are among the beaches around Tangier, and a stay by the sea suits you if you want slower days. The old town and the museums then mean a journey into the city.
The Caves of Hercules lie 14 km from Tangier in the Cap Spartel massif, cut into the limestone with an opening to the ocean. The Perdicaris villa stands 6 km from the centre in the Rmilat forest, on a hill above the Strait of Gibraltar. Keep valuables close on the sand too: petty crime is common on beaches as well as in the medina. See beaches near Tangier and Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules.
Before a ferry from Tanger Med
Tanger Med lies about 40 km east of Tangier. For Algeciras, you need to be at the port 2 hours before departure, and 5 hours before for the other lines, to Barcelona, Sète, Marseille and Genoa. Police and customs controls follow, and you collect your boarding card at your shipping company's counter.
By car, the port is reached by the RN16 or by the motorway; from the Tanger Est junction it is 35 km, about 20 minutes. With such early check-in times, an early sailing means an early start, so allow for the drive when you choose where to sleep. If you take a taxi, agree the fare in advance or make sure the meter is running. More on the ferries page and on Algeciras - Tanger Med.