Must-see attractions in Mediterranean Coast & the Rif Mountains

  • Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Cultures

    Tangier

    This recently refurbished museum is housed in the former sultan's palace of Dar El Makhzen. The focus is on the history of the area from prehistoric times…

  • Tangier American Legation Museum

    Tangier

    This museum, in an elegant five-storey mansion, is a must-see: Morocco was the first country to recognise the United States by opening its ports to the…

  • Grand Socco (April 9 1947 Square), New City, Tangier, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

    Grand Socco

    Tangier

    The Grand Socco is the romantic entrance to the medina, a large, sloping, palm-ringed plaza with a central fountain that stands before the keyhole gate,…

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    Medina

    Chefchaouen

    Winding alleyways, cute doorways and charming plazas all in many shades of blue – this is what has attracted millions to this tiny village in the Rif…

  • The Medina (Old City), Tangier, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

    Medina

    Tangier

    The medina, the top attraction of Tangier, is a labyrinth of alleyways both commercial and residential. It's contained by the walls of a 15th-century…

  • Petit Socco

    Tangier

    This was once the most notorious crossroads of Tangier, the site of drug deals and all forms of prostitution. Today the facades are freshly painted,…

  • Plaza de África

    Ceuta

    This is the charming heart of Ceuta, with manicured tropical plantings, a square of freshly renovated cobblestone pathways and some of the city’s finest…

  • Royal Artisan School

    Tetouan

    Just outside Bab El Okla is the best artisan centre in northern Morocco. This is a fascinating opportunity to see masters teaching apprentices traditional…

  • Melilla La Vieja

    Melilla

    Perched over the Mediterranean, Melilla la Vieja is a prime example of the fortress strongholds that the Spaniards built along the Moroccan littoral…

  • Palacio de Asamblea

    Melilla

    Nieto’s art-deco Palacio de Asamblea, whose floor plan depicts a ducal crown, is an operating town hall, although the staff at the entrance are willing to…

  • Murallas Reales

    Ceuta

    The most impressive sight in Ceuta is the medieval Royal Walls, which date back over 1000 years and have been passed from Arab to Portuguese to Spanish…

  • Medina

    Tetouan

    Tetouan's medina is an authentic time machine, with buildings that have witnessed centuries of history. The medina is also very traveller-friendly, with…

  • Tetouan Museum of Modern Art

    Tetouan

    Tetouan boasts one of only two schools of fine arts in Morocco (Casablanca has the other), so it's fitting that this museum should live here. The building…

  • St Andrew’s Church

    Tangier

    St Andrew's Church is one of the more charming oddities of Tangier. Completed in 1894 on land granted by Sultan Hassan, the interior of this Anglican…

  • Nahon Synagogue

    Tangier

    Tangier once had 17 synagogues and 27,000 Jewish residents. That number has dwindled and the only synagogue open to the public is Nahon – but it's a…

  • Parque Marítimo del Mediterráneo

    Ceuta

    This creative maritime park is a real hit in the summer and perfect for families. One of several parks developed by the artist and architect César…

  • Museo de los Muralles Reales

    Ceuta

    This two-floor gallery houses temporary art exhibitions lasting four years each. Squeezed out of the fort's unforgiving architecture, it's a beautifully…

  • Musée de la Fondation Lorin

    Tangier

    This eclectic museum is housed in a former synagogue. Here you will find an open 2-storey room with an engaging collection of B&W photographs of 19th- and…

  • Tangier Beach

    Tangier

    The wide city beach is well maintained and a fresh corniche (beachfront road) works well for a seaside stroll, with parks, playgrounds and fancy glass…

  • Plaza de España

    Melilla

    Plaza de España is the beating heart of Melilla, with arteries leading to the modernist new town and fortress. It's also where you can catch a bus to the…

  • Place Hassan II

    Tetouan

    The broad and empty Place Hassan II, which is mostly roped off for security reasons, links the medina to the Ensanche. It looks like it houses the Wizard…

  • El Peñón de Alhucemas

    Al Hoceima

    One of the plazas de soberanía (places of sovereignty), this extraordinary white island fortress can be seen a few hundred metres off Plage Sfiha, along…

  • Casino Militar

    Melilla

    The magnificent two-storey building lining Plaza de España holds free temporary art exhibitions in rooms extending from its Enrique Nieto–designed hall…

  • Museo de la Legión

    Ceuta

    This intriguing museum is dedicated to and run by the Spanish Legion, an army unit set up in 1920 that played a pivotal role in Franco’s republican army…

  • Plage Sfiha

    Al Hoceima

    A short retreat from the city, wide horseshoe-shaped Plage Sfiha looks out on the Spanish-controlled post-colonial relic, El Peñon de Alhucemas. A couple…

  • Cuevas del Conventico

    Melilla

    These extensive and well-restored caves were used for storage as well as a refuge during sieges, and pop out at a small beach below the cliffs. The…

  • Bouhachem Regional Nature Reserve

    Chefchaouen

    One of two parks in the Rif Mountains, Bouhachem is exceptionally beautiful and covers an enormous territory. The forest has various species of oak and…

  • Feddan Park

    Tetouan

    Feddan Park used to be what's currently known as Place Hassan II, but it was destroyed following the Spanish protectorate to make room for the Royal…

  • Grotte du Chameau

    Mediterranean Coast & the Rif Mountains

    Named after the camel-shaped mountain above, Grotte du Chameau is an ancient network of limestone and dolomite caves, once used as shelter by early Homo…

  • Grotte des Pigeons

    Mediterranean Coast & the Rif Mountains

    Follow the throaty pigeon coos up the hill into the oldest known cemetery in North Africa. Traces of 80,000-year-old human remains have been unearthed…

  • Grottes d’Hercule

    Mediterranean Coast & the Rif Mountains

    Legend has it that Hercules used his brute strength to rip Europe from Africa, and afterward he rested here. Grottes d'Hercule is comprised of two caves;…

  • Cala Bonita

    Al Hoceima

    Because of its location south of town, Cala Bonita pebble beach manages to avoid some of the crowds, though there are still plenty of umbrellas during…

  • Playa de la Ensanada de los Galápagos

    Melilla

    Nestled below cliffs and the towering fortress walls is the secluded beach of Playa de la Ensanada de los Galápagos, open from June to September (with…

  • Plaza Uta El Hammam

    Chefchaouen

    The bustling heart of the medina is the shady, cobbled Plaza Uta El Hammam, which is lined with cafes and restaurants, all serving similar, rather…

  • Ensanche

    Tetouan

    Restored to resemble the era when Tetouan was capital of the Spanish protectorate, this broad boulevard along Ave Mohammed V from Place Al Jala to Place…

  • Tanja Marina Bay

    Tangier

    King Mohammed VI's multibillion-dirham plan to reinvigorate Tangier's port is well under way, and his shiny new marina with space for 800 boats is…

  • Medina

    Oujda

    Oujda's medina is a great slice of tradition and modernity. It isn't large and appeals to local tastes, so don't expect to wade through touts selling…

  • Plaza de Toros

    Melilla

    Africa's only active bullfighting ring is operational just once a year for Melilla's Virgen de la Victoria festival. Otherwise, the 8,000-person stadium…