Barcelo Tanger

The seaside town of Larache, 88 kilometers south of Tangier, is the closest settlement to the Lixus archaeological site, where Greek legend tells that Hercules gathered the golden apples. The site was a trading center for first the Phoenicians, then the Carthaginians, and finally the Romans, but its history is thought to be much older than these conquerors. The ruins include a temple, theater, acropolis, and baths, and although the site is overgrown, it’s highly atmospheric. After visiting the site, head six kilometers west into Laroche itself, where the petite seafront medina with its blue and white alleys are home to remnants of the town’s Hispano-Moorish architecture. If you’re heading down the coast, Laroche is a good stop-off point between Tangier and Rabat.

Tangier’s Kasbah (a high-walled defensive fortress where the sultan once lived) takes up the northern section of the medina. The main gate into the Kasbah (accessed from the northwest medina wall) opens onto a large courtyard, which leads to Dar el-Makhzen Palace, once the sultan’s residence and today used as the Kasbah Museum. The palace was built in the 17th century and enlarged by each reigning sultan. The carved wooden ceilings and marble courtyard showcase the intricacies of Moroccan craftwork. The various cafés within the Kasbah, with views across the Mediterranean Sea below, offer some of Tangier’s most scenic stops for mint tea and lunch.

The little town of Asilah, about 40 kilometers from Tangier on the northwest tip of Morocco’s Atlantic coast, has a history that stretches back to the Roman era. More recently, it has been under the control of both Spain and Portugal. But the town’s imposing ramparts, with surviving bastions and towers, now offer a setting for delightful seaside walks. The Portuguese fortifications enclose an old town of pretty white-and-blue-washed houses with a distinctively Mediterranean feel. The town is also famous for fried seafood dishes. Restaurants line the shore, making a great place to put your feet up while you sample some fish.

Geography fans won’t want to miss this Tangier side trip. Cap Spartel, about 11 kilometers west of Tangier, marks Africa’s northwest tip. The promontory projects into the water, marking the boundary of the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. For atmosphere, the best time to come here is at sunset, when you can see dusk settle over the Atlantic. The lighthouse here, at the tip of the promontory, is especially photogenic, and there’s a great café next door where you can grab a coffee or a juice and take in the sea views. Just below the promontory is the five-kilometer-long stretch of Achakkar Beach. At the beach’s southern end are the Hercules Caves (Grottes d’Hercule) where, according to local myth, Hercules once lived.

This excellent museum inside the Kasbah is based in the restored Dar el-Makhzen Palace. The museum brings together an amazing number of exhibits tracing Morocco’s tumultuous and complicated history. For history lovers, the Antiquities Collection is a must-visit, displaying mosaics and statuary from the country’s prime ancient Roman sites such as Lixus and Volubilis, as well as exhibiting a life-size model of a Carthaginian tomb. There are also displays explaining Tangier’s history and a large section devoted to Moroccan arts. The Fes Room is particularly interesting, containing silks and illustrated manuscripts, as well as centuries-old ceramics decorated from golden yellow to the famous Fes-blue.