ATanger Med A shuttle bus (Dh25) runs every hour from Tanger Med to the main bus station (45 minutes). The driver will drop you off near the train station if you ask.
Bus
Buses aren’t really necessary for getting around Tangier, but two potentially useful services are bus 13 ( GOOGLE MAP ), which runs from the train station via Ave Mohammed VI to Tangier Port gate, and bus 17, which links the train station and the main bus station.
Taxi
Ultramarine with a yellow stripe down the side, petits taxis do standard journeys around town, charging 50% more at night. Tangier suffers a perennial shortage of taxis, especially during the busy holiday months, so it's good to remind yourself that you can (and should) flag down a taxi that has passengers but spare seats.
Cap Spartel كاب سبارتل
Just 14km west of Tangier lies Cap Spartel, the northwestern extremity of Africa’s Atlantic Coast. It is a popular day trip with locals and tourists alike. A dramatic drive takes you through La Montagne, an exclusive suburb of royal palaces and villas, and over the pine-covered headland to the Cap Spartel Lighthouse (closed). The beaches to the south are clean and quiet outside the summer season, so you can find your own private cove.
1Sights
Grottes d’HerculeCAVE
(Dh5; h8am-dark)
Below Cap Spartel, Plage Robinson stretches off to the south – a great place for a bracing beach walk. Five kilometres further you reach the Grottes d’Hercule, the mythical dwelling place of Hercules, next to Le Mirage hotel. Since the 1920s these caves have been quarried for millstones, worked by prostitutes, and used as a venue for private parties by rich celebrities from Tangier.
A much-photographed view of the Atlantic from within the cave resembles a map of Africa. Camel rides are available here, just before the entrance to the caves on the right. A beach ride is a special treat.
4Sleeping & Eating
Camping AchakkarCAMPGROUND€
(%0612 24 97 27; camping per person Dh25, plus per tent/car/campervan Dh25/20/45, bungalows Dh250-550, hot showers Dh20; s)
Inland from the grotto, this shady site has clean facilities and hot water (electricity Dh30). It has a shop that stocks essentials and a cafe serving breakfast (Dh35), paninis, shwarma and pasta.
Le MirageHOTEL€€€
(%0539 33 33 32; www.lemirage.com; Cap Spartel; d from Dh2600; aWs)
One of the finest hotels in the Tangier area, with a dramatic location perched on the cliff beside the grotto, Le Mirage offers a view of miles of broad Atlantic beach. The bungalows are exquisite, as the price suggests, and there’s a spa and golf course.
Nonguests can get a taste of the opulence in the immaculate restaurant (meals around Dh500), or just stop by for a drink beneath the pergola. From the sunny terrace you can see the Roman ruins of Cotta, where fish oil was processed.
Cap Spartel Café & RestaurantMOROCCAN€
(%0539 93 37 22; Cap Spartel Rd; breakfast Dh22, paninis Dh30; p)
This restaurant next to the lighthouse is popular on weekends. Set in a lovely garden overlooking the sea, it serves good juices, crêpes both savoury and sweet, paninis and pizza.
8Getting There & Away
Grands taxis from Tangier are the best way of getting to Cap Spartel. A round-trip charter should cost around Dh200, including waiting time. Taxis leave from the rank in front of St Andrew’s Church in Tangier.
Road to Ceuta
The scenic road from Tangier to Ceuta is worth taking: green patchwork fields, alluring mountain roads, rolling hills, rocky headlands and good sandy beaches reveal a different side to Morocco.
The road begins at Cap Malabata, the headland opposite Tangier. There's a corniche with expensive apartments, a golf course and the large M’nar Park, a great place for children and with a restaurant that has views back towards Tangier.
There's no more development until Ksar es-Seghir, 25km further around the coast. This small fishing port, dominated by the remains of a Portuguese fort, has a yacht basin and a beach that's popular in summer. Just beyond you’ll spot Tanger Med, the massive container facility and ferry port, 48km from Tangier.
The great crag of Jebel Musa, one of the ancient Pillars of Hercule, rises up 10km or so further on, and views along the pretty mountain road are spectacular.
Grands taxis ply the route between Tangier and Fnideq, where you can catch links to Ceuta.
SURVIVAL SPANISH
Hello/Goodbye ¡Hola!/¡Adios!
Yes/No Sí/No
Please/Thank you Por favor/Gracias
Where is…? ¿Dónde está…?
hotel hotel
guesthouse pensíon
camping camping
Do you have any rooms available? ¿Tiene habita-ciones libres?
a single room una habitación individual
a double room una habitación doble
How much is it? ¿Cuánto cuesta?
What time does the next…leave? ¿A qué hora sale/llega el próximo…?
boat barca
bus autobús
I’d like a… Quisiera un…
one-way ticket billete sencillo
return ticket billete de ida y vuelta
beer cerveza
sandwich bocadillo
Ceuta (Sebta) سبتة
Pop 84,960
Ceuta is one of a handful of Spanish possessions on the coastline of Morocco. Located on a peninsula jutting out into the Mediterranean, it offers a compact dose of fantastic architecture, interesting museums, excellent food, a relaxing maritime park and bracing nature walks. The city is particularly beautiful at night, a skyline of artfully lit buildings and bursting palms.
If entering from Morocco, Ceuta is also an eye-opener. You cross a 400m no-man’s-land of haphazardly placed barricades, part of the EU's efforts to prevent illegal immigration, and find yourself blinking in the light of Spanish culture, a relaxed world of well-kept plazas and tapas bars bubbling over until the wee hours. This cultural-island phenomenon is the essence of Ceuta. It explains the Spanish military presence, the immigrants, the duty-free shopping, the shady cross-border commerce and the tourism. It makes a perfect weekend getaway.
History
Ceuta served as one of the Roman Empire’s coastal bases (its Arabic name, Sebta, stems from the Latin septem). After a brief stint under the control of the Byzantine Empire, the city was taken in AD 931 by the Arab rulers of Muslim Spain – the basis for Spain’s claim of historical rights to the land. For the next 500 years, however, this city at the tip of Africa was a prized possession, fought over and ruled successively by Spanish princes, Moroccan sultans and Portuguese kings. Things began to settle down when Portugal and Spain united under one crown in 1580, and Ceuta passed to Spain by default. When the two countries split in 1640, Ceuta remained Spanish, and has been ever since.
Ceuta
1Top Sights
1Plaza de AfricaB2
2Royal WallsA2
1Sights
3Baños ArabesF2
4Casa de Los DragonesE3
5Cathedral Santa Maria de la AsuncionB2
6Iglesia de San FranciscoE3
7Museo de CeutaE3
8Museo de la Basilica TardorromanaC2
9Museo de la LegiónD3
10Museo de los Muralles RealesA2
11Palacio de AsambleaB2
12Parque Marítimo del MediterráneoE2
13Playa de la RiberaB3
14Plaza de los ReyesE3
15Santuario de Nuestra Señora de AfricaB2
4Sleeping
16Hostal CentralD2
17Hostal Plaza RuizE3
18Hotel UlisesE3
19Parador Hotel La MurallaB2
20Pensión CharitoF2
21Pensión La BohemiaD3
5Eating
22Cala CarlotaB1
23Central MarketD2
24CharlotteE3
25El RefectorioD2
26El Secreto de YusteA2
27Gran Mura
llaD3
28Mesón el BacheE3
29Mesón el CortijoE3
30Supersol SupermarketA1
31Vincentino PasteleríaD2
6Drinking & Nightlife
32DublinE2
8Information
33Instituto Gestión SanitarioA2
34Main Tourist OfficeB2
35Plaza de Africa KioskB2
Transport
36Buses to BorderA1
Buses to BorderD3
37Local Bus StationD3
38Renfe OfficeD3
1Sights & Activities
oPlaza de AfricaLANDMARK
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
This is the charming heart of Ceuta, with manicured tropical plantings, a square of cobblestone streets and some of the city’s finest architecture.
Moving clockwise from the oblong Commandancia General, a military headquarters closed to visitors, you encounter the striking yellow Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Africa ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h9am-1pm & 5-9pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm & 6.30-9pm Sun & holidays); the 19th-century Palacio de Asamblea ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ); and finally the Cathedral Santa Maria de la Asuncion ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0956 51 77 71; h9am-1pm & 6-8pm Tue-Sun, museum 10am-1pm Tue-Sat) with its museum. The centre of the plaza contains a memorial to soldiers lost in the Spanish–Moroccan War of 1860, a conflict over the borders of Ceuta.
oRoyal WallsARCHITECTURE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0956 51 17 70; Ave González Tablas; h10am-2pm & 5-8pm)F
The most impressive sight in Ceuta is the medieval Royal Walls, dating back to the 5th century. These extensive fortifications, of great strategic complexity, have been beautifully restored, with information boards in English.
Museo de los Muralles RealesMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Ave González Tablas; h11am–2pm & 5–9pm Tue-Sat)F
This gallery houses temporary art exhibitions. Squeezed out of the fort's unforgiving architecture, it's a beautifully designed space, worth visiting irrespective of what's on – although if you’re lucky enough to catch local artist Diego Canca, don’t miss his work.
Museo de la Basilica TardorromanaMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h10am-1.30pm & 5-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1.30pm Sun)F
This superbly executed underground museum is integrated into the architectural remains of an ancient basilica discovered during street work in the 1980s, including a bridge over open tombs, skeletons included. The artefacts become a means of branching out into various elements of local history. In Spanish, but definitely worth a lap through. Enter via Calle Queipo de Llano.
Museo de la LegiónMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0956 52 64 58; Paseo de Colón; donations appreciated; h10am-1.30pm Mon-Sat)F
This intriguing museum is dedicated to and run by the Spanish Legion, an army unit set up in 1920 that played a pivotal role in Franco’s republican army. Loaded to the gills with memorabilia, weaponry and uniforms, not to mention glory, pomp and circumstance, it is a fascinating glimpse into the military culture that shaped the Spanish Morocco.
There's the imperious statue of fascist leader Franco, an explanation of how the legion’s founder, Millan Astray, lost his right eye, and the history of the legion in cinema. There are guided tours in English.
Playa de la RiberaBEACH
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
One of Ceuta's two beaches. Well kept and conveniently located, although the sand is a bland grey.
Playa del ChorilloBEACH
( GOOGLE MAP )
One of Ceuta's two beaches. Well kept and conveniently located, although the sand is a bland grey.
Casa de Los DragonesARCHITECTURE
(House of Dragons; MAP GOOGLE MAP )
The Casa de los Dragones on Plaza de los Reyes is a fantastic dream that has entered the real world. This former home is an extraordinary example of eclectic architecture, with Moorish arches, polished brick facades, mansard roofs, fabulous balconies, and the pièce de résistance, four enormous dark dragons springing from the roof. If only it were open to the public!
Plaza de los ReyesLANDMARK
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
With its green triumphal arch (inscribed ‘a monument to coexistence’) and fountain, this plaza borders the twin-towered yellow Iglesia de San Francisco ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ).
Museo de CeutaMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0956 51 73 98; 30 Paseo del Revellín; h11am-2pm & 6-9pm Mon-Sat Jun-Sep)F
This ageing municipal museum has a small collection showing the peninsula’s pre-Spanish history, with all labels in Spanish. The temporary exhibitions are of more interest.
Parque Marítimo del MediterráneoPARK
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; adult/child €4.80/3.70; h11am-8pm Jun-Aug)
This creative maritime park is a real hit in the summer, and perfect for families. One of several parks developed by the artist and architect César Manrique, it borrows the city-walls theme to construct a huge pool deck on the sea, including a grand lagoon and two other saltwater pools, surrounded by 10 bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes and a disco.
A central island holds a fortress casino (open from 10pm). A pictorial display of Manrique’s work lies just inside the entrance, 50m to the right.
Baños ArabesHISTORIC BUILDING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle Arrabal 16; h11.30am-1.30pm & 6.30-8.30pm)
Accidentally discovered during street work, these ancient Arab baths sit on a main road, an incongruous sight. There are two of them, with barrel-vaulted roofs originally covered with marble – the high-tech spa of its time.
Monte HachoOUTDOORS
( GOOGLE MAP )
A walk around Monte Hacho is an option on a nice day; maps are available at the tourist office or you can wing it and follow the coast. Since it’s an uphill slog from town, a good option is to start by taking a cab (€15) to the Mirador de San Antonio two-thirds of the way up, which offers magnificent views over Ceuta and north to Gibraltar.
The summit of the peninsula is crowned by the massive Fortaleza de Hacho, a fort first built by the Byzantines, and still an active military installation. No visitors are allowed. Back down at the main road, you keep going clockwise until you reach the Castillo del Desnarigado ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0956 51 17 70; h11am-2pm Sat & Sun).
García AldaveOUTDOORS
If you’ve done everything else, the García Aldave can be crossed from coast to coast along the N354, either by car or on foot (a hiking map from the tourist office will help). The route contains a series of circular neo-medieval watchtowers, closed to visitors. Several of these are visible from the excellent Mirador de Isabel II, which offers great views across the isthmus to Monte Hacho.
On 1 November, the Day of the Dead, there is a mass pilgrimage here to remember the deceased.
The road ends at Benzú, a small town on the northern coast, which faces the grand sight of Jebel Musa rising across the border. The mountain is known here as the Dead or Sleeping Woman, because it resembles a woman, lying on her back. Contemplate mortality here over a cup of mint tea.
4Sleeping
Ceuta isn’t overrun with sleeping options, so if you’ll be arriving late in the day, an advance reservation is a good idea. Most cheap places are pensiónes, some of which are identifiable by the large blue-and-white ‘CH’ plaque.
oPensión La BohemiaHOTEL€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0956 51 06 15; 16 Paseo del Revellín; per person without bathroom €30)
This well-run operation, one flight above a shopping arcade, offers a bright and spotless set of rooms arranged around a central courtyard. Bathrooms are shared, with plenty of hot water and communal showers. Rooms have small TVs and fans; some have internal windows only.
Pensión CharitoHOSTEL€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0956 51 39 82; [email protected]; 1st fl, 5 Calle Arrabal; per person €25)
A bold new CH sign that makes this place easy to find – look for the green-and-cream building next to the bar Bocatos José. Although it's a bit decrepit on the outside, the inside is clean and
homey with hot showers and a small, well-equipped kitchen. If rooms are full, the staff may not be present.
Hotel UlisesHOTEL€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0956 51 45 40; www.hotelulises.com; 5 Calle Camoens; s/d incl breakfast €76/82; aWs)
This hotel offers a pretty decent deal: excellent location, parking nearby and great prices. The rooms aren't large, but come with TV and some have balconies. The cafe spills out onto the pavement and is perfect for people-watching over a drink and a few tapas.
Hostal CentralHOTEL€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0956 51 67 16; www.hostalesceuta.com; Paseo del Revellín; s/d €45/52; aW)
This place is in a charming location and offers a warm welcome. Rooms are airy, with nice pine furniture; the best have wrought-iron balconies overlooking the cafes of the plaza. Bathrooms and fridges are standard.
Hostal Plaza RuizHOTEL€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0956 51 67 33; www.hostalesceuta.com; 3 Plaza Ruiz; s/d €52/65; aW)
This good-value, two-star hotel in an excellent location has ultra-modern decor and is very welcoming. Rooms are tiny but spotless, and all come with bathroom and fridge. Low-season discounts are available.
Lonely Planet Morocco Page 46