Travelers may be surprised to learn it’s easy to visit Morocco from Spain. You can comfortably manage a day trip to Tangier from Tarifa and travel between two countries and two continents in less than 24 hours.
Gateway to Morocco
Tarifa is a port city at the southernmost tip of Spain. It’s the gateway to Morocco, just 35 minutes by high-speed ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar. But before we go there, I need to divert to South America for a moment.
To Go or Not to Go
I’m a fairly intrepid traveler, but I’m not foolhardy. Before heading someplace new, I check government advisories and consult online travel forums about recent crime and safety concerns.
That’s why I almost canceled a long-awaited trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Online posts suggested crime was rampant at the time— especially against foreigners. The Argentine capital had been on my travel bucket list for a long while, and I was reluctant to miss out. But a handful of travel forum contributors insisted it wasn’t safe. Others said Buenos Aires was no worse than any large American city. I was torn.
Blending In
Ultimately, I decided to go. But I did take a few extra precautions. I left my baseball cap and backpack (dead giveaways of an American tourist) at home. I bought jeans and sneakers popular in Argentina to blend in, and I never let anyone see me check a map on my phone in public.
No Regrets
And I had a ball! Not only in Buenos Aires, but also on a side trip to Uruguay and at Iguazú Falls, on the Argentine border with Brazil. If I had listened to the naysayers, I would have missed out on a fun and interesting visit.
The Argentine people were exceptionally warm and welcoming. I never saw signs of trouble or felt unsafe. I’m not dismissing the other travelers’ misgivings— I took them seriously and adjusted my behavior accordingly. But I didn’t let fear, or someone else’s experience, dictate my decisions.
Overcoming Bad Press
So why the literary detour to Buenos Aires? Because my positive experience in Argentina— despite the bad press online— made it easier to take a chance on Morocco. Muslim countries are often portrayed unfavorably in movies and on television in the States; news images are frequently negative, too.
Many of my friends therefore thought it unwise to visit Morocco on my own. My employer wouldn’t let me take students there, fearing anti-American sentiment. Were they right? Was I naïve to attempt a solo visit?
But I recalled my experience in Argentina. It taught me the merits of prudent risk-taking, and I forged ahead with plans for an independent day trip to Tangier.
Private Guided Tour
Well, “independent” is a relative term. I did my online research and found an established, very well-reviewed private guide named Said to accompany me throughout my visit. I can’t read or speak Arabic (the official language of Morocco), or French or Berber (also used there). So Said was both guide and translator.
And thank goodness he was with me— Tangier is a warren of narrow, winding passageways, especially in the old quarter. I literally would have been lost without him. That might have been fun on a second visit, but not my first time there on a fixed schedule.
We emailed extensively beforehand, and Said was attentive to every detail. He booked my round-trip ticket on the ferry between Tarifa and Tangier and greeted me at the terminal when I arrived mid-morning in Morocco. (I had his personal cell phone number just in case.)
A driver and air-conditioned van waited a short distance away. The three of us remained together throughout the day until I returned to Spain on the early evening ferry.
The Sites
The roughly eight hours I spent in Tangier gave me a compelling taste of Morocco. Sites included Cap Spartel, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, and the ancient Hercules Caves. I took my first camel ride, which was more of a photo op than anything— but still fun to do.
Lunch was traditionally Moroccan, including live music and the popular (and very sweet) mint tea. We toured the Medina, or old quarter, whose blue and white shops and homes are nestled within the walls and winding alleys of a centuries-old fortress. At the top of the Medina sits the Casbah, dating to the 1600s.
Sights and Sounds of Tangier
For me, the sights and sounds of the city— being so different from what I’m used to— were the most interesting. Tangier is the only place I’ve heard the Muslim call to prayer from a minaret in person. At street markets, I spotted Berber women— descendants of the ancient tribes of North Africa— in traditional dress.
Said took me to a larger, indoor market as well, where spices, camel cheese, olives, wild game, and all manner of consumables were on display. There’s nothing like it in the States.
I asked for Said’s help finding something authentically Moroccan to buy as a souvenir. He took me to a shop where I found a handmade, ceramic wall-hanging reminiscent of Tangier’s colorful doorways, which opens to reveal a mirror. It’s a reminder that Tangier was my entryway to the Muslim world and the African continent.
More to Come
My visit to Tangier was admittedly brief and structured. It left a lot to be discovered elsewhere in Morocco. I’m eager to return and see Marrakech, Casablanca, and Fes, from my preferred, explorative approach. And I’d like to have more spontaneous, informal interactions with the people, too.
Still, the private tour with Said was a safe, comfortable, and easy introduction to a place I suspect would be difficult to navigate as a solo traveler who doesn’t speak the local languages. For that reason, I highlight it here as a way for hesitant, first-time visitors to overcome their reluctance and step outside their comfort zone.
The experience gave me the assurance that Morocco is a safe place to visit with an abundance of cultural intrigue. And once again, I was glad I didn’t let fear or someone else’s misgivings dictate my decisions.
How to Book
Said currently books private tours of Tangier via TripAdvisor at a cost of $174 per person. But there are many guided, day tours of Tangier available online, so look them over and choose the one that suits you best.
And since you’re already in Spain, check out Zaragoza and its Festival of Pilar. For more ideas about traveling safely abroad, read my posts on travel safety tools and protecting yourself from pickpockets.
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