Places to Visit Near Tangier: 8 Easy Day Trips by Road

The best places to visit near Tangier are closer than most travellers expect. Within 15 kilometres you find the Atlantic lighthouse of Cape Spartel and the Caves of Hercules. Within an hour, the white walls of Asilah and the Andalusian streets of Tetouan. Within two and a half hours, the blue alleys of Chefchaouen and the waterfalls of Akchour.

This guide ranks eight places to visit near Tangier by distance, with journey times, what to see, how long to stay and the day trip that covers each one. It is written for travellers who sleep in Tangier, and for visitors who arrive from Spain and want to use a single day well. For a day inside the city, see our guide to one day in Tangier.

Places to visit near Tangier at a glance

Here are the places near Tangier in order of distance. Distances are approximate and measured by road from the centre of Tangier, and journey times depend on traffic and the season. Use them to plan the things to do near Tangier that fit your days.

If you are not sure where to start among the places to visit near Tangier, or which day trips from Tangier to choose first, begin with Cape Spartel in the morning and Asilah in the afternoon: together they make a perfect first day.

Within 30 minutes: Cape Spartel and the Caves of Hercules

Cape Spartel

Cape Spartel is the north-western tip of Africa, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. The lighthouse dates from the 1860s and the terrace gives a view over both seas on a clear day. It is the nearest of all the places to visit near Tangier, and our guide to the Cape Spartel lighthouse covers the history and the best hour to go.

The Caves of Hercules

A few minutes further, the Caves of Hercules open onto the Atlantic through an arch often compared to the map of Africa. The walls still show the marks of the millstone quarrymen who worked here for centuries, and legend says Hercules rested inside.

Within an hour: Asilah, Paradise Beach and Tetouan

Asilah, the easiest of the day trips from Tangier

Asilah is a small walled town on the Atlantic, painted white and blue and famous for the murals that artists repaint every summer. You can walk the ramparts in twenty minutes and spend the rest of the day in the lanes, the cafés and on the beach. It is one of the most photogenic places to visit near Tangier, and our guide to the things to do in Asilah explains where to go.

Paradise Beach

On the Atlantic coast near Asilah, Paradise Beach is the place for a swim and a long seafood lunch in summer. The water is cooler than in the Mediterranean, so go in July or August, and check the sea conditions before you swim.

Tetouan

Tetouan is the Andalusian city of the north. Its medina was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997, and its alleys, fountains and craft workshops show the influence of the families who arrived from Spain. Of all the places to visit near Tangier, it is the one where the craftsmen still work in the old way.

A longer half day: Larache and Lixus

About 85 kilometres south of Tangier, Larache is a calm seaside town above the estuary of the river Loukkos, with a Spanish-era square and old fortifications. A few kilometres away, Lixus was a Phoenician and Roman city: tradition places the mythical Garden of the Hesperides here.

It is a quieter choice among the places to visit near Tangier, ideal for history lovers who prefer space to crowds. The Larache and Lixus day trip combines the town and the ruins.

Full-day trips to the mountains: Chefchaouen and Akchour

Chefchaouen

Two and a quarter hours from Tangier, Chefchaouen is the most famous of the places to visit near Tangier. Its blue medina climbs the Rif mountains, and a morning is enough for the square, the kasbah and the alleys. Our guide to how to get from Tangier to Chefchaouen compares the five ways to go.

Akchour waterfalls

Beyond Chefchaouen, the Talassemtane National Park hides the river and waterfalls of Akchour. The walk to the first pools takes about an hour, and the whole hike can fill a day: our Akchour waterfalls hike guide describes the trail and the season.

A big day among the places near Tangier: Rabat

Rabat, the capital, is the furthest of the places to visit near Tangier, but it is worth it for the Hassan Tower, the Kasbah of the Udayas and the Chellah ruins, part of a group inscribed by UNESCO. The fast train and our Rabat day trip from Tangier are both options, and we advise starting early.

How to choose among the places to visit near Tangier

• If you love history: Tetouan, Lixus and the Caves of Hercules.
• If you want photographs: Chefchaouen at the start of the morning and Asilah in the late afternoon.
• If you travel with children: the coast, with Cape Spartel, the caves and a beach lunch.
• If you like walking: Akchour, with sturdy shoes and a full day.
• If you have only half a day: Cape Spartel and the Caves of Hercules, then the corniche.

There are enough things to do near Tangier to fill a week, but most visitors who spend three or four days in the area combine two of these trips. Our northern Morocco itinerary shows how to link them in one route.

Frequently asked questions about places to visit near Tangier

The places to visit near Tangier give you the coast, the history and the mountains within a morning’s drive. Choose one that suits your day, start early and let a local driver handle the road.