Tetouan

A UNESCO-listed Andalusian medina between the Rif and the Mediterranean

Tetouan was largely rebuilt in the late 15th century by refugees from Andalusia, and its UNESCO-listed medina still shows it: whitewashed houses, lanes organised by trade and monumental gates. The newer town, built under the Spanish protectorate, adds white façades and ornate balconies. A few kilometres away, Martil, M'diq and Cabo Negro form the busiest summer coastline in the north.

Ideal stay: 1 to 2 days
Best season: Apr – Oct
Budget per day: from 300 MAD
Region: Northern Morocco
Travel style: Culture, Shopping, Summer, Budget
Best for: Architecture and craft lovers, a stop between Tangier and Chefchaouen, a beach stay on the nearby coast

Why go

A lived-in, working medina, far less touristy than those of Fes or Marrakech
Craft skills taught at the School of Arts and Crafts
Mediterranean beaches twenty minutes away

Culture & heritage

Medina
UNESCO-listed in 1997. Enter by Bab Okla or Hassan II square and follow the tanners', weavers' and jewellers' souks.
School of Arts and Crafts
Workshops for zellige, painted wood and embroidery, opposite Bab Okla.
Spanish Ensanche
The Boulevard Mohammed V district, with its white early-20th-century buildings.

Nearby beaches

In summer this coast is popular with Moroccan families: book early for July and August.

Martil
The closest beach to town, very busy in July and August.
M'diq and Cabo Negro
A seafront, a fishing harbour and quieter beaches below the headland.
Oued Laou
Further east, a wilder beach where a Rif river meets the sea.