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Tangier, Morocco over Christmas and New Years

Posted by (Ulm, Germany) on

Hello!

We are spending the Christmas and New Years holiday in Tangier (2 weeks) and I was hoping to get a few insights from fellow travellers. We will be staying in a private apartment, walking distance from the medina and likely renting a car.

Firstly - We have made note of the new US State Dept blanket travel warning since the Paris attacks, but are also intending to practice sane travel and not let ungrounded fear keep us from meeting a new place. Does anyone have any first hand experience in Morocco/Tangier in the last month? I'm curious if there has been any substantial change in tone towards tourists or in general. Any tips in general? (not worried about aggressive touts :) )

Second - Any recommendations? We plan to 'live local' most of the time, cooking, hanging out, checking out the city. On my list of possible day trips are the northern coast in general (hercules caves, hiking), Cueta, Tetuan, maybe Chefchaouen. I'm the sort that is happy gawking at the details of old buildings and exploring the local grocery stores ...

Would love to hear what people have to say!

Posted by
6788 posts

I would just offer the thought that if I had 2 weeks to spend in Morocco, I would not spend any of them in Tangier. There's a lot of great stuff to see and do in Morocco, and Tangier is among the least authentic places in the country. The day-trip cities on the north coast are for people who (for whatever reason - fear, lack of time, not knowing any better) only spend a few hours as a side-trip from Spain. The good stuff is all away from those ferry ports. Marrakech, Fez, the mountains, deserts and gorges, ancient cities, etc. - really great stuff. It's safe, easy, and right there.

The ferry ports are Morocco's "bordertowns". The analogy I make is that going to Tangier is like going to Tijuana - if you were going to spend 2 weeks in Mexico, what a crime it would be to never get out of Tijuana!

Others might disagree, but I would reconsider your plans.

Kudos to you for not letting irrational fears spook you.

Posted by
16893 posts

My experience in Morocco is all four or more years old, but I would not have any new concerns about their attitude toward tourists. Tourists are usually warmly welcomed. I agree with David that other destinations in Morocco are more interesting and traditional.

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