Tangier Kasbah and Medina

What it is

The Tangier medina is the walled old town that slopes down from the kasbah, the citadel at the top, to the port. It is a small medina compared with those of Fez or Marrakesh, and is toured on foot in a morning: whitewashed alleys, staircases, small squares, neighbourhood shops and, at the top, viewpoints over the Strait. On clear days you see the coast of Tarifa opposite.

The walk, from bottom to top

Start at the Grand Socco, the square that separates the medina from the new town. Enter by the medina gate and go down the jewellers' street, Rue es-Siaghine, to the Petit Socco, the small square with cafés that was the centre of the city's life in the days of international status. From there, in the lower part, is the American Legation, a palace the sultan gave to the United States in 1821 and which is now a museum and cultural centre; it is the only US national historic landmark outside its territory. It is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00.

Then, climb. The streets gain height up to the kasbah gates, and inside opens the Place de la Kasbah, with the old sultan's palace. On leaving, look for the terrace and the gate facing the sea, above the wall: it is the viewpoint over the port and the Strait.

The Kasbah Museum

The Museum of the Kasbah of the Mediterranean Cultures occupies the old Dar al-Makhzen palace, in the eastern part of the kasbah. The Portuguese (1471–1661) and English (1662–1684) governors lived here; after the English left, Ahmed Ben Ali built the palace, and an inscription dates it to 1737–1738. It has a large courtyard with European-style marble columns, tiled dados, plasterwork, wooden domes and a garden. Its rooms bring together archaeological and ethnographic pieces on the history of Tangier.

The National Foundation of Museums publishes hours of 10:00 to 18:00 with closing on Tuesdays; its page contradicts itself on that day, so confirm it. Entry costs 30 DH for adults, 15 DH from 12 to 18 and 5 DH for under-12s. Allow an hour.

How long and when

Allow about three hours with the museum and a tea. The medina is almost always uphill if you start at the bottom; if climbing is hard, take a petit taxi to the kasbah and do the walk on the way down. In the morning there is life in the shops and less heat; at sunset the light over the Strait is the best.

Guides and safety

You do not need a guide: with a map on your phone you find your way, and if you get lost, downhill always leads to the port or the Grand Socco. Those who offer themselves in the street as guides expect a tip or a commission from shops; a firm "no, thank you" is enough. If you want a guide, hire an official one at your hotel. At night, stay on the main streets and with people.

Getting there

If you arrive by ferry from Tarifa, the Tangier Ville port is at the foot of the medina: in ten minutes' walk you are inside. From the new town, go down to the Grand Socco. Do not enter by car: park outside the wall. Inside there are stairs and steep alleys: it is not suitable for wheelchairs and awkward with a pushchair.

When you leave the kasbah, continue on foot through the Marshan district to the Café Hafa, with terraces over the Strait. To finish in the new town, the Gran Café de Paris is a walk from the Grand Socco. If you want to sleep in the kasbah, see Dar Nour.