A Paradise Beach day trip from Tangier is the antidote to a week of medinas. The beach sits five kilometres south of Asilah on the Atlantic, reached down a sand track through dunes, and it is exactly what the name promises for most of the year: a wide crescent of pale sand, a handful of reed shacks, and nothing else.
It is 55 kilometres from Tangier, about an hour door to door. Ordinary taxis will not take you down the final track, which is the main reason a Paradise Beach day trip from Tangier still feels like a discovery outside July and August.
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We collect you mid-morning and drive down the A1, turning off past Asilah onto the coastal track. The driver stays for the day, so there is no arranging a return and no watching the clock. Most groups take four or five hours on the sand.
The shacks set up parasols and loungers for a small fee. Asilah is five minutes back up the coast and almost everyone stops for an hour on the way home — a Paradise Beach day trip from Tangier includes that at no extra cost, and the Portuguese ramparts at the end of the afternoon are worth the detour.
The best beaches near Tangier fall into three groups, and they suit different days. Achakkar and the Caves of Hercules coast is fifteen minutes from the city, busy, and good for a short afternoon with camels and cafés.
Tangier’s own Municipal Beach is convenient but urban. Of the best beaches near Tangier, Paradise Beach is the one people travel for: no road, no buildings, and an hour of driving that filters out anyone unwilling to make the effort. Robinson Beach, just north of it, is a close second and slightly easier to reach.
Grilled fish on the sand is the other reason to come. Several reed-built shacks work through the summer season, cooking whatever landed at Asilah that morning over charcoal — sole, sardines, prawns — with bread, salad and mint tea.
It is simple and very good, and it costs a fraction of a seafront restaurant in the city. Grilled fish on the sand is cash only: there is nothing resembling a card machine anywhere on that beach, and the shacks close between November and March, so bring your own food if you come in winter.
| Destination | Paradise Beach and Asilah, Atlantic coast |
|---|---|
| Departure | Tangier hotel, riad, port or airport |
| Departure Time | 10:00 — flexible |
| Return Time | Around 18:00 |
| Duration | 7–8 hours |
| Group Size | Private 1–16 passengers |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French and Arabic |
| Included |
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| Excluded |
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| Format | 1–3 people | 4–7 people | 8–16 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private (total) | €160 | €210 | €300 |
| Small group (per person) | €50 | ||
May, June, September and October are ideal — warm, calm and quiet. July and August are hot and busy with Moroccan families, and the track can be slow at weekends. Between November and March the beach is dramatic and often deserted, but the shacks close and there is no shelter, so treat it as a walk rather than a swim. Coastal information is published by the Moroccan National Tourist Office, and nearby Asilah is described on Wikipedia.
A Paradise Beach day trip from Tangier suits anyone four or five days into a trip who has had enough of souks and wants a day that asks nothing of them. It also suits families: the sand is wide, the shacks are relaxed about children, and there is nothing fragile to break.
It does not suit a short stay. If you have two days in the north, spend them on the city and the blue medina instead. A Paradise Beach day trip from Tangier is a reward rather than a highlight, and it works best when you have already seen the things you came for.
On the Atlantic coast about five kilometres south of Asilah, and 55 kilometres from Tangier — roughly one hour by road.
With difficulty. The final stretch is a sand track and ordinary taxis usually refuse it, which is why a Paradise Beach day trip from Tangier is the practical option.
In calm conditions, yes, and lifeguards work the beach in July and August. It is an open Atlantic beach with real waves, so judge the day and stay within your depth.
Yes in season — grilled fish on the sand at the reed shacks. Outside summer, bring your own.
Achakkar for a short afternoon with camels, Paradise Beach for a full quiet day. Both work with children; only the second requires the drive.
For one day out of a week of old towns, a Paradise Beach day trip from Tangier is the reset most itineraries need. For the town rather than the sand, see the Asilah day trip. Closer to the city, Achakkar beach and the Caves of Hercules make a shorter half-day, or travel one way with the Tangier to Asilah transfer.
Photos: Maxim Massalitin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 · RACHID BAYA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 · Elle Hughes / Unsplash
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