# Tangier & the North Tangier, the blue town of Chefchaouen and the Rif mountains above the Mediterranean. Tangier occupies one of the most strategically located positions in the Mediterranean, sitting at the point where the Strait of Gibraltar narrows to just fourteen kilometres. On a clear morning the coastline of southern Spain appears sharp and close, and the twin pillars of Hercules — the Rock of Gibraltar on one side, Jebel Musa on the other — frame the gateway between seas. The city has always been shaped by this geography, a place where African, European, and Levantine influences have overlapped for centuries. ## The Medina and the Ville Nouvelle The old medina crowds a hillside above the port, its narrow streets rising through a dense sequence of whitewashed walls, sudden glimpses of ocean, and small neighbourhood squares where men gather over glasses of mint tea. TheKasbah occupies the highest ground — a former palace complex and a quieter quarter with gardens that open toward the strait. Below, the Mellah, the historic Jewish quarter, sits alongside the spice sellers and tailors of the Grand Socco, the market square that marks the boundary between the old and new cities. The Ville Nouvelle, laid out in the early twentieth century, runs along the Avenue Hassan II and the corniche, with its cafés and street life turning toward the water. The market here mixes locally caught fish with produce from the surrounding countryside. ## The Northern Coast and Hinterland Cap Spartel lies a few kilometres west of the city, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean and a lighthouse marks the coast's turning point. The road south passes through forests of cork oak and eucalyptus before climbing into the Rif Mountains — a green, mountainous region that produces kif and grapes and has its own distinct cultural character. Chefchaouen, set among steep streets painted in shades of blue, sits in the mountains a few hours from Tangier and has long drawn visitors for its particular atmosphere. ## A City in Motion Tangier has long attracted writers, artists, and visitors passing between continents. The Pierre Loti theatre, the old international zone, and theGrand Café de la Poste all recall different eras of its history. Walking the city, what strikes most is the energy of a place that is thoroughly itself — the ferries at the port, the fishermen on the breakwater, the conversations in Arabic, French, and Spanish that overlap in the streets. The strait is always present, narrowing the world and making you feel, with every step, that you are standing at the edge of something. ## Places in Tangier & the North - Chefchaouen ## Tours that visit Tangier & the North No tours visit this place just yet. ## Before you book you should know ### Is this trip right for you? Our groups are capped at eight travellers, which is about a third of what the industry calls a small group. Eight people share one vehicle, one table at dinner and one guide's attention, and the day can change on the road without anybody being left behind. If you are looking for a coach, a fixed script and a microphone, this is not that. Most days involve real walking, often on ground that was laid two thousand years before walking shoes: marble worn smooth, cobbles, uneven steps and long site paths with little shade. Bring shoes you can spend a morning in. Some days move between regions and are largely a drive, with stops along the way. Summers are hot — well over 35°C inland — and winters are colder than most people expect, so layers, a hat and sunscreen earn their place in the bag whatever the month. How demanding a particular trip is, is written on the trip itself: the physical rating in the header, and the day-by-day itinerary above. ### Rooms, and travelling on your own Trip prices are per person, sharing a twin room. Each traveller picks their own room while booking, so a party can mix the three: - **Twin share** — two single beds, shared with someone you are travelling with or with a traveller of the same gender. - **Travelling as a couple** — one double room. - **Individual room** — a room of your own, for a single supplement on top of the trip price. Availability is limited, and the supplement for a given date is shown next to the option when you book. Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and most of our groups have one or two aboard. ### Accommodation The hotels named in an itinerary are a guideline rather than a guarantee. Where one is full, or has dropped below the standard we booked it for, we substitute a property of a similar standard in the same area — we would rather change the hotel than the trip. Check-in is usually mid-afternoon. If you arrive early we will ask for the room, but no hotel can promise one before its own check-in time; luggage can normally be left at reception in the meantime. If you want the room from the night before, ask us and we will add the extra night to your booking. ### Passports, visas and insurance Entry requirements depend on your nationality and change without much notice, so the only reliable source is the official one: the government of the country you are travelling to, and your own foreign ministry's travel advice. Check both before you book a flight. Many countries ask for a passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates, and for blank pages. It is worth looking at yours now rather than at the airport. We ask every traveller to carry travel insurance covering medical treatment and repatriation, and we would strongly encourage cover for cancellation and for your luggage as well. ### Your departure is guaranteed — the day can change Once a departure is on the calendar it runs. We do not cancel a trip for want of a minimum number of bookings, so a booked date is one you can plan flights and leave around. What can move is the shape of a day. Museums and archaeological sites change their hours, roads close, weather turns, a local holiday lands in the middle of the week. Where that happens your guide reorders the day, or swaps a stop for one of the same weight, and tells you why. Changes to a booked itinerary are covered by our Booking Terms & Conditions. --- Full page: https://www.smallvoyage.com/destination/northern-morocco/