Tangier was one of my absolute favourite places to visit in Morocco. As a woman traveling by myself I found the people to be incredibly courteous. Obviously as in Marrakech, there is a a tendency for the Medina – in this case known as the Petit Socco to be aimed at tourists and by extension yes there can be a hard sell as you walk past however apart from that I was essentially left to myself wandering around Tangier.
I arrived by plane from Marrakech. Tangier is like the land that time forgot and that is what is fabulous about it. It clearly had its hey day as a party capital some time in the late 50’s early 60’s and it has this amazing faded grandeur from that time, like a photograph, frozen in time. However, the amount of fashionable people lounging about in the fading grandness of the local cafes (no one does coffee culture quite like Tangier) leads me to believe that it won’t be long until the Tangier tourist scene is thoroughly modernized so I would suggest that anyone thinking about visiting it visit sooner rather than later as it is the faded glamour that is a massive part of Tangier’s charm.
I was staying in the Palais Zahia in the Petit Socco which was lovely and the staff were just great.
Palais Zahia is right in the centre of the Petit Socco which is perfect if you want to soak up the atmosphere of the Medina. The atmosphere of Palais Zahia itself was very soothing and relaxing and it certainly provided an oasis of calm in the Medina
The Palais Zahia also had a beautiful quiet terrace where I was able to chill out completely. Although the Medina was extremely busy, I often had the terrace of the hotel virtually to myself.
The Sun Terrace at the Palais Zahia
The first place I went for a mint tea was the Hotel Continental. The Hotel Continental has to be experienced to be believed. The hotel is just massive and seems to go on and on forever. When I arrived and was trying to find the Hotel’s Cafe, I seemed to arrive in a huge Bazaar which appeared to be part of the Hotel and sold literally everything and anything. I picked up a beautiful necklace for a song without much haggling with the owner who was utterly charming. I then went into the Hotel lobby which is literally frozen in time in the most fabulous way complete with pictures of one of the owners hanging out with various superstars of the 1980’s.
I took another turn and appeared to find myself in the Cafe which was a labyrinth of salons on different floors and mass of colour, mosaic and stained windows. I felt like I was in some form of surreal movie moving from one brightly coloured salon to the next seemingly neverending and oh so quiet.
I eventually took my place on the sun terrace and was treated delightfully by the staff there all bedecked in old fashioned bow ties.
If you are looking for a quieter place to stay, you could try the Hotel Nord Pinus for a treat or its neighbouring La Tangerina as a more economical option. The hotels are located in the quieter older Medina with the Bab Al Bahr about two minutes walk away. The Bab Al Bahr is a stunning vantage point, with amazing sea views combined with a beautifully soothing sea breeze, a godsend if you are travelling around Tangier in the summer.
Hotel Nord Pinus
About two minutes from the Bab Al Bahr is the El Morocco Club with its shaded terrace and fabulous little haven and a great spot to rest and rejuvenate as you start the walk back from Bab Al Bahr down to the Petit Socco / city centre. There are also some cute little shops on either side of the El Morocco Club to wander about.
El Morocco Club
El Morocco Club Terrace
My other massive favourite for particularly for just finding a quiet space generally is the Grand Hotel Villa Des France. Its cafe / terrace is beautiful with lots of soothing shade and you can spend as long as you want there safe in the knowledge that you will not be disturbed.
For food in Tangier one of my favourite spots was Salon Bleu – amazing views, great service and I had one of the best tajines I had on my whole trip to Morocco. The food was incredibly well priced. I had a beautiful avocado starter with a vegetarian tajine and a large orange juice for my lunch and the bill came to about €15. It is right beside the Bab Al Bahr so perfect if you want to combine the meal with a scenic walk with some soothing sea air.
Salon Bleu
I also tried Cafe Hafa which is about 10 minutes walk from Bab Al Bahr. Certainly a very beautiful scenic spot with tiered floors or areas looking directly out on to the sea, the only thing I would say is don’t go there if you are starving. The different tiered areas are vast and the cafe appears to be a little bit under staffed. It wasn’t only that I was not being served, no-one in my entire tiered area was being served and I was there for about twenty minutes. This all appears to be part of the fun if you are just there for the views, indeed it appeared to me that the locals to my left and right had brought their own bottles of water and were quite content to be left alone so while it is definitely worth seeing I would maybe go after you’ve have lunch or dinner, and would be quite content with just the view.
Cafe Hafa
Cafe Culture in Tangier
One thing you will never have to worry about in Tangier is where to get an espresso or a mint tea. The place is literally overrun with cafes each with such character you cannot help but sit down at one of their outside table and just take in the sites. Two of the most popular are facing each other in the Petit Socco – the Cafe Central and the Cafe Al Manara.
Cafe Al Manara
Cafe Central
Cafe Central and Cafe Al Manara are perfect for whiling away the hours watching life go by in the Petit Socco over a mint tea. For food, arriving tired and hungry, I simply asked the owner of the Cafe A L’Anglaise to make me whatever he had available for a vegetarian. What I received was a huge a delicious salad complete with enormous slices of melon thrown in for free for desert. This summed up the people of Tangier for me, I found them to be friendly and generous.
Cafe L’Anglaise is also about half way down the steep stroll from the Bab Al Bahr to the Petit Socco / city centre so it provides a nice reprieve from the walk, particularly if it is the height of summer.
Cafe A L’Anglaise
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