Tangier
is the gateway to Africa, located
at the northern tip of Morocco [view
map] where
the Mediterranean and the Atlantic
meet. Often referred as ‘the
crossroads of civilisation’,
Tangiers is a highly cosmopolitan
city - street signs are in three
languages and as recent as the
1950s was an international tax
free zone, under the control of
a committee of 30 nations. This,
plus the cities sultry atmosphere
attracted writers and artists including
Henri Matisse, Tennessee Williams,
Samuel Beckett and Orson Welles.
The city is dominated by busy
markets, narrow alleyways and its
magnificent bay below lush green
hills. The city also possesses
a number of terrific beaches, most
notably Paradise Beach. Other major
points of interest include:
- Grand
Socco - the Souk (outdoor
market) located in narrow lanes
of the old town
- Petit
Socco - the heart of
the medina, a large square
with pavement cafes
- Kasbah -
a complex of castles overlooking
the city
- Cap
Spartel – where
you can view across the Straights
of Gibraltar and Tangiers beaches.
Here, from the mountains surrounding
Tangier, you can see the evening
sun sink into the Atlantic
Ocean as the bright moon slowly
rises up out of the Mediterranean.
The breezes where the Atlantic
meets the Mediterranean ensure
that temperatures rarely exceed
26ºC (79ºF) with the
town still warm through late Autumn
at around 16ºC (61ºF). |
![[view map]](images/morocco/morocco-map.gif){kind=link}