See also Tangier (Virginia). Tangier (Ar. طنجة, Tanjah, Fr. Tanger) is an important port city in Morocco. The third most populous city in the country, it's a popular entry point to Morocco and Africa as a whole due to its proximity to Spain, and an interesting destination in its own right.
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Tangier is a fascinating Moroccan city to visit. It has many of the things that travellers love—a sense of exotic mystery, interesting history, beautiful vistas, unspoiled beaches, and friendly people. It is an interesting mix of the cultures of north Africa, Spain, and France and indeed has a very international history, and has traditionally been home to people from several different cultures. At the beginning of the 20th century, for instance, a quarter of the city's population were Europeans and another quarter Jewish. Founded sometime in the 5th century BCE, Tangier has been part of all major empires in the region throughout history.
Tangier is very easy to navigate around; the two main roads are Boulevard Mohammed V which runs from near the Medina through the ville nouvelle and Boulevard Mohammed VI (formerly Ave des FAR) which runs along from the beachfront from the port to Malabata. The exception is the Medina (old town), a complex array of alleyways some of which can only be accessed on foot. Mohammed V has a whole range of clothes shops, pharmacies and cafes as well as Hotel Flandria, Hotel Rembrandt. Hotel El Minzah lies just off this road. Mohammed VI runs along the beach front where you will find numerous hotels (Rif, Ramada, Sherezade, Solazure, Tariq, Movenpick), bars, discos, restaurants and cafes.
Tangier is a city where there are rather few individual sights. Instead, the whole city can be considered one single big sight. Take a simple walk along the beach (Ave Mohamed VI) to enjoy what the city is famed for. In the 1 port you can see fishing boats bringing in fresh fish everyday. There are also restaurants serving very fresh fish. Moreover, here you can also see the frequent fast ferries arriving from and departing to Tarifa. The 2 medina, ie. the old town is probably Tangier's biggest attraction. Its narrow streets and many businesses are a quite interesting experience. You will very likely get lost, though.
Walk around the city. Get happily lost in the medina, which is most active in evening and night. Alternatively walk along Boulevard Pasteur with its view to the sea from Terrasse des Paresseux or the beachfront Avenue Mohammed VI and in the port area and look at the fishermen bringing in their catch. When walking around, there are plenty of opportunities for shopping, described in the next section. For nice views of the city and the seas, head to the aforementioned Terrasse des Paresseux, Kasbah or to the famous Café Hafa in the Drink section. 1 Mnar Park. Aquatic park with a tremendous view of the coast.
There are restaurants serving most major cuisines in Tangier. Though while you're here, why not try out the specialties of Maghreb; different types of tagines (stews) and couscous as well as mint tea? In the morning a "locals" cafe will give you a cafe au lait for 5 dirham. (Cafes where tourists congregate will charge you 10 dirham.) Usually there is a bread vendor at the cafe (by the port or the madina) who will serve you bread with cheese and honey for another 5 dirham. It's perfectly okay to buy your bread/breakfast elsewhere and eat it outside at the cafe.
There are many places in Tangier to drink. Much depends on the current owner who tends to give the place a certain ambiance. Popular bars/discos with foreign (and local) clientele include Casa Pepe, Sable D'or, Morocco Palace, Marco Polo (popular with truck drivers) and hotel bars such as Ramada and El Minzah. You could opt for a coffee, and there are no shortage of cafes; some of which are the best in the country.
Generally, central Tangier is a very safe city compared with many places in Europe though this does not necessarily apply to the suburbs. The only trouble you may encounter are the persistent touts whom you should ignore, or the con-men ready to fleece you (by trying to chat up to you then sometimes offer to smoke hashish), and you will encounter these almost exclusively in the medina. There are policemen everywhere and you will probably feel safer than at home. Tangier is generally safe for lone women. Dressing like a local will help you blend in and get good reception from merchants, who will often quote you actual prices instead of inflated tourist prices.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Tangier typically sees ~30°C daytime highs and 1 rainy days.
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