28-30 March 2025
Whether spelled Tangier or Tanger, this vibrant Moroccan port on the Strait of Gibraltar thrives where the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans meet. Since Phoenician times (around the 3rd to 4th century BCE), the city has connected Africa and Europe as a strategic cultural crossroads.
Its picturesque, whitewashed medina climbs the hillside, home to the Dar el Makhzen and Bab Al Bahr or Gate of the Sea. The square minarets of the mosques cut into a cloudless blue sky. Its Port hosts both cruise ships and fishing boats. Morocco became the first country to recognize American independence. The Medina overflows with sellers, restaurants and haggling shoppers. Clearly, Tanger has much to offer its visitors.
The Medina: A Friendly Maze
We are lodging at the El Minzah located on the edge of the Medina. We don’t have to walk far to be lost within a maze of shops, street peddlers (who literally spread their wares on the sidewalks) and motorcycles. Walking downhill, we soon reach the old walls of the city and the port, its white-washed buildings blinding in the sunshine.
Walking the streets of Tanger feels like stepping into a spy thriller where we are the main characters but the script is written in a mix of Arabic, French, Spanish, and enthusiastic hand gestures. I enter confidently, thinking, “I’ve got this.” Few minutes pass before being buried within a labyrinth of winding alleys with women balancing an entire bakery on their heads, endless souks, and cats that clearly own the street. I thankfully note an absence of stray dogs. My niece, Gabrielle, leads the way.
News Flash: Tanger Medina Not So Bad
I tend to expect the worst with Medinas. Life can become a constant trial of street negotiations. One must walk with confidence, pretend you have the street-crossing rights of a local, and trust that the cars will swerve.
The medina streets, narrow and busy, are mostly carless, but cycles and carts pass within inches.
Gabrielle was here a few years ago and commented on changes. Words like “cleaner,” “western public bathrooms” and “less hassle” are spoken. It all looks good to me. Only one or two men call out for attention, just one purse is held up for inspection. Most retailers let us slide by unbothered. It refreshes my confidence that I can survive one more Medina. I also thank a very functional Google Maps.
True street vendors as many, many people spread their wares on plastic or tarps along the streets and squares. No fancy shop needed.
The Seaside Corniche
The Corniche, overlooking choppy blue waters and the busy port, offers a welcome respite. A strong sea breeze cools the air. Just 19 miles across that expanse of water is Spain. Stretching along the waterfront, the promenade offers stunning views of the Mediterranean, a cool sea breeze, and a mix of modern and traditional Moroccan charm.
Perfect for a leisurely stroll, the Corniche is lined with palm trees, benches, and scenic spots to soak in the atmosphere. Cafés offer refreshments and a view. I can see the coast of Spain; I am told on really clear days, one can spot the Rock of Gibraltar.
Welcome to the Kasbah
The Kasbah and the Medina are both historic areas, but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics. While the Medina represents the busiest part of the city and includes a vast maze of souks and narrow alleys, the Kasbah is the actual fortified area or citadel of the city where the rulers lived. The Kasbah is quieter with large gates, defensive walls, and panoramic views.
The Kasbah Quarter lies at the northern-most end of the Medina. With a commanding position overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar sits Bab Al Bahr, Arabic for Gate of the Sea. Historically, Bab Al Bahr was used by sultans, merchants, and travelers as a key entry point to Tanger.
Dar Al-Baroud’s thick stone walls and fortress-like design reflects its key role in protecting the city from invasions. It also functioned as a military storage for ammunition and explosives. The bastions, cannon strategically pointing out to sea, provide spectacular views.
Petit Socco
Wandering within the heart of the medina, we enter the lively Petit Socco or “Souk Dakhli.” This small bustling square showcases a place where history and everyday life appear to collide. There exists a somewhat worn, vintage charm about its restored buildings and traditional shops standing alongside trendy boutiques and art galleries.
Cats own the street and miraculously avoid being run over. A group of young boys play soccer, noisily cheering on a lively competition. Diners gather at the tables of various eating establishments.
Businesses vary from the little boy selling packages of Kleenex to dad running his kiosk selling candies, from mom sitting along the street side selling a few homemade bead bracelets to an uncle selling shoes from the tarp on the sidewalk. Commerce thrives in the Medina. From the manufacturing, to transportation to marketing, the family keeps busy.
My question remains: how do all these people make a living in sales? There must be 500 street vendors selling the same yellow Pointy slippers. The same baubles and candies, spices and shirts are sold in dozens of stores.
While competition is intense, vendors carve out a niche and make a living despite selling similar products in close proximity. Fluent in multiple languages and skilled at engaging with tourists, all that “Hello Miss, where are you from?” often gains a competitive edge.
Moroccan Cuisine
Didn’t know until today: Tanger seems to be the home of the tangerine. So much for the history of food.
Our hotel serves a huge buffet for dining. Too much food for me. We would rather eat at a local restaurant. In Tanger, a fun place to try is the Gran Café de Paris in the Petit Sacco. In the past, this was a hopping place frequented by artists and actors. No stars here tonight, but the ubiquitous cats are in full force. In Tanger, two local dishes are a standout: seafood and tagines. Decisions, Decisions.
Tagine/tajine is a North African stew of spiced meat, vegetables, dried fruit and nuts. The stew slowly steams in a shallow earthenware bowl with a conical lid known as a tagine pot. Tagine often includes aromatic spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, cardamom, allspice, and sometimes saffron. The flavor is a balance of sweet and spicy. Tonight’s tagine was only fair.
The cats ate some of the chicken. I drank water. This is becoming a habit in Morocco.
Al Capone Slept Here
I am told many famous writers and artists came to Tanger. The likes of Tennessee Williams, Jack Kerouac, and Allen Ginsberg hung out here. The Rolling Stones also called Tanger home for short spells. The El Minzah has several guest photos on their wall highlighting stars like Rita Hayworth and Francis Ford Coppola.
Evidently, even Chicagoland’s Al Capone hung out for a time in the Kasbah. Three Bond movies were filmed here; Jason Bourne frantically rode his motorbike through the streets.
Malkovich relaxing at the El Minzah.
I remember Mark Twain wrote of Tanger. Not in Huckleberry Finn, but in his travel classic The Innocents Abroad:
“Tangier is the spot we have been longing for all the time…We wanted something thoroughly and uncompromisingly foreign—foreign from top to bottom—foreign from center to circumference—foreign inside and outside and all around—nothing anywhere about it to dilute its foreignness—nothing to remind us of any other people or any other land under the sun. And lo! In Tangier we have found it…I am glad to have seen Tangier—the second-oldest town in the world.”
I wonder if Twain would even recognize today’s Tangier?
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