Daytrip to Tangiers, Morocco

Tangiers' Medina area, with 95,000 residents in 600 tiny streets

Music in a fancy touristy restaurant

 

Place de France is a familiar scene from several movies.

The African continent lies just across from Spain, with only a narrow portion of the Mediterranean Sea in between. It is possible to take a ferry from Tarifa, Spain to Tangiers, Morocco. It’s a long day trip, but it will take you to a completely different world. Tangiers is exotic—filled with colorful tiles, doors, spices, rugs, new flavors, and smells. You can ride a camel, watch a snake charmer, taste mint tea, and enjoy some amazing food. However, Tangiers is also a 3rd world country with a somewhat dangerous melding of wealth and poverty. Wealthy princes have mansions on the hill, while in town some families beg and live in squalor. 

Many choices of pottery at the markets.

The vendors are relentless, almost desperate, in their pursuit of clients in the street. If you show any interest or make eye contact, you may find yourself in a frustrating negotiation that can last up to 15 minutes—even if you are walking away the entire time! Morocco is a foreign country with a foreign culture. Therefore, it is recommended that you visit Tangiers with a local guide, who can safely escort you to areas of interest, while protecting you from the intense pressure of street vendors. There are several trusted guides who have served the Rota community for years. Check with the Fleet and Family Center to get some recommendations, or 

ask friends who have recently traveled. 

Jamal invited us into a tea house to participate in a song!

We used Jamal Chatt, who comes HIGHLY recommended! We were very impressed by his ability to lead us to quieter, safer areas, and to protect us from the pushy vendors. He can be reached at jc.privatetours@gmail.com. A good guide will find out ahead of time where you want to go, meet you at the port with a car, provide transportation to areas of interest throughout the day, walk with you through the markets, assist with negotiations if you want to buy something, and allow you to keep purchases in the car during the day so you don’t have to carry everything with you. Prices for a guide should be determined ahead of time, and are usually based on the size of the group and the length of the tour. (Ours was 80 Euro per adult, kids half-price). The price included our round-trip ferry tickets, camel ride, mint tea snack, and personal tour guide all day, so we were very satisfied. We brought extra Euros for lunch, as that is not included. No NOT simply book the tour offered through the companies at the port. They spend 3 hours in a carpet shop every time! Jamal will help you avoid those types of tourist traps.

beautiful tiles on the porch of the Grand Mosque

Note: Some people feel that Tangiers, as a port town, is too flooded with tourists and vendors to give an authentic Moroccan experience. If you are looking for a more genuine taste of Morocco, consider visiting the Moroccan blue town of Chefchaouen. It is further inland and less convenient to reach, but still possible as a day trip, with some of the same guides who work in Tangiers. You can also do overnight adventures in the Moroccan mountains, to Fez, or to Casablanca!

THINGS TO DO DURING A DAY IN MOROCCO:

our group riding camels at the Atlantic beach!

-      Ride a camel. There are many places to do this. Some charge one price for a photo and more for a ride. A guide can get you a fair deal and camels that don’t look sickly.

-     Visit the Kasbah. This is the former palace fort of the sultan. It is an impressive building with huge walls, and also now a historical museum. Entrance fees 10 dihrams.

-  Tour the American Legation for Moroccan Studies. This is the only American museum on foreign soil, and has interesting history and art displays. Minimal entrance fee.

-    Barter at the flea market. The Casa Barata flea market is an outdoor area with a wide range of spices, rugs, baskets, clay items, and even furniture for sale. The adjacent souk is an indoor market open twice a week. 

-   Watch a snake charmer. Depending on your interest in snakes, you can get VERY up close and personal with them!

outdoor farmer's market--look at the women's hats!

-     See the Cave of Hercules, a natural cave which has been expanded and modified since the time of the Phoenicians. Legends abound, stating that the cave has tunnels leading to Gibraltar, that Hercules built it, or that he simply slept there.  

-      Visit the Church of St. Andrew. It is an Anglican church built in 1894, and a unique blend of Moroccan and English architecture.

-    Eat delicious food! Whether you enjoy kebobs, couscous, tagines, or mint tea, Tangiers has numerous high-quality restaurants and tea houses to enjoy.

Mint tea, and a pancake made with argan oils. Delicious!

Some advice on bartering: 

Morocco does not have fixed prices in most shops. Bartering is expected in the marketplace. Our guide was not allowed to barter for us, but he did give us some help. He said always aim for 1/3 of the original asking price. If they say something is 75 Euros, offer 20. You may be able to get it for 25 or 30. 

- If you aren't sure you want something, don't ask the price! Once you ask for the price, the negotiations have begun. 

spice markets grind spices to order! so fresh!

- If you don't think you're getting a good deal, walk away. Don't worry, they will follow you down the street with a much better offer. (That's how I got a silver teapot that started at 55 Euros. I walked away after offering 15, he came into the street and proposed 25, and I got it for 20 Euros.) 

- Try to get just one thing at a shop. If you haggle over multiple items, it gives them a lot more opportunities to suggest changes and substitutions. Pick one thing to keep the negotiation simple. 

- I asked our guide how he felt about the inconvenience of bartering all the time. He said it is about the sense of happiness and satisfaction you feel after purchasing an item. It's the adrenaline rush of getting a good deal. If you just walk into a shop and hand over money, there is no relationship between you and the vendor. But when you barter, you acknowledge that their product has value, and you walk away with a sense of satisfaction and pride in your purchase. That made sense to me. The vendors aren't just trying to get the highest price--they are negotiating the perceived value of their product. If something beautiful seems worth 50 Euros to you, and it makes you happy, then go ahead and pay it, and it will make them happy too! But if you feel it is only worth 20 Euros, then say so. :-)

Roast lamb and prunes. I was hesitant, but it was delicious!

 

Tips for the trip: Contact the Security office first, since Morocco is not always approved for American military personnel to visit. Bring your passport! You are in another country. Expect to change money. Morrocco uses the dirhram. (Although the Euro is accepted almost everywhere). Dress appropriately: even though you probably can’t enter any mosques, remember that Morocco is a Muslim country. Women should wear pants or long skirts, and have their shoulders covered as well. Be prepared for a long day. Tarifa is 1 hour 15 minutes from Rota, and the ferry ride takes 45 minutes in each direction. The ferry has indoor seating, but the ports are very windy, so dress with some warm layers. Also, Morocco is in a different time zone--1 hour ahead of Spain. And use common traveling

Lighthouse at Africa's Northern-most point

a tiny mosque, the oldest in the Medina (old town) area.

sense—keep your belongings safe at all times, stay with a group, be aware of your surroundings, and don’t buy anything you can’t carry with you, even if they promise to ship to you later!


(Most of this article is an excerpt from my book, 'Welcome to Rota,' with some of my personal experiences and pictures added).