From the most southern point of Spain (Tarifa), Morocco is only 14 kilometers away. On most days you can see the mountains at the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar very clearly, and at night you see the lights of the houses. Being so close to Spain, Morocco Tourism is very tempting. Especially because it’s not only another country, but even another continent.

There are several options to a Morocco Tourism visit, one of them is booking a daytrip from Tarifa to Tanger, organized by FRS. There are two excursions to Tanger every day, starting at 9am and 11.00am, and cost 56 euro (ferry, guide, bus and lunch included). Tickets are sold at the office of FRS or at Marruecotur, both near the Paseo de la Alameda in the centre of Tarifa. The excursion starts in the port of Tarifa. Here you cross the Spanish border and get on the boat, a fast ferry that brings you in 35 minutes to Tanger. As there is a time difference between Morocco and Spain of 2 hours (in summer), you arrive in Morocco either around 7.45am or 9.45am.

Morocco Tourism for the first time is quite impressive. Not so much because of the beauty of the landscape (the skyline of Tanger is not very special), but more for the complete different culture and language. There are two different ideas about the origins of Tanger, the Berber and the Greek. According to the Berber legend, Tanger was founded following the return of a dove from the Arch of Noah with soil in its claws, indicating that there was a new world – Tanja in Berber language. The Greek version states that Tanger derives from the name “Tingi”, daughter of the giant Anthee. For the ancient Greek authors Tanger was “the most beautiful city of the known world, a region of gods where the men are the tallest and most beautiful that one can find.” If this is (still) true, you have to decide for yourself. Because of its geographical situation Tanger has always been the door to Africa. For a long time it used to be an important international meeting point, until it became stronger attached to Morocco.

Once you have arrived in Morocco, a bus drives you from the port to the old town. The old town is surprisingly similar to a lot of old towns in Andalucian cities. At the entrance there is an old arc, after which you find a labyrinth of small streets, small houses, ancient buildings, a castle and small typical shops. Most of the shops appear to be there for tourists only, during the tour you’ll visit some of them. The shop owners are not too shy to sell you all their merchandise on the streets, of course for “a very special price” (which drops rapidly if you don’t show any interest). Also included in the tour is a lunch in a traditional Moroccan restaurant. They serve traditional food and at the end you’ll get a traditional Moroccan tea. It´s questionable if it´s really a traditional restaurant, as it seems to run on tourists only, but at least the food is good.

After a stroll through the old town, you get a chance to have a look at the new town. This part of Tanger appears to be quite modern, with big buildings, broad streets and larger, more modern shops. A visit to the outskirts of Tanger is included as well. Big houses with big fences dominate the scene, so probably the rich are living here. You also get the opportunity to ride a camel, on payment of a few euros. The whole tour takes about 7 hours.

Taking a daytrip is just one of the many possibilities to Morocco Tourism. There are also trips of 2 days to Tanger, including accommodation, diner and breakfast in a 3 star hotel, for 93 euro, and sometimes they organize excursions to other cities in Morocco, for example to Asilah (30 km south of Tanger). If you are a citizen of the EU you don’t need a passport, a national ID card is sufficient.

Another option is going alone, without a guide (in this case you do need a passport!). A one way ticket for the ferry costs 29 euro from Tarifa. The advantage is that you can decide yourself where to go, what to visit and where to eat and/or sleep. During the day-excursions there is some time to wander around yourself, but this is very limited.

Besides of going to Morocco from Tarifa, it´s also possible to take the ferry in Algeciras. From this place you can either go to Tanger or to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the Moroccan coast. Normally the ferry goes every hour, and even more frequently in high season to cater for the Moroccan migration. Tickets you can buy at several companies, for example Euroferrys or Buquebus, but also in the port or the agencies of FRS.