A Long Weekend in Tangiers
Feeling the winter blues? Then I might just have the cure for you!
Tangiers is situated on the north coast of Morocco; enjoys a temperate climate and is very easy to get to. Iberia has direct flights to Tangiers (Tanger) from both Malaga and Almeria on certain days of the week. Another way of getting to Tangiers is by fast ferry (35 minutes) from Tafira and a return ticket is approximately €66.60 per passenger plus €93 if you take your car.
We opted to take a direct flight from Malaga to Tangiers (although we could have flown from Almeria) using the airmiles we had accumulated on our Iberia frequent flyer card. For those of you who don’t know, joining an airline frequent flyer club means that for every flight you take with them, you accumulate a number of points which can subsequently be used to purchase free flights (albeit there are normally airport taxes charged).
Tangiers airport is very small and we were soon through customs. We were warned not to hang around the airport too long otherwise all the taxis might run out! We quickly changed our Euros into Dirhams at the cashpoint and hopped into a waiting taxi, which took us into the centre of Tangiers for the princely sum of about €10.
We chose to stay at the Hotel Flandria as we had found good reviews about it on Trip Adviser (www.tripadviser.co.uk) and because it is also centrally located close to the Medina. We paid €39 per night booking through www.hotelclub.co.uk The first room we were shown was rather small and dark so we asked for another and were given a room on the fourth floor. It was basic but the beds were comfortable and there was plenty of hot water in the en-suite bathroom. We also discovered a very welcoming and relaxing bar and a swimming pool on the roof.
After swiftly unpacking we headed onto the streets of Tangiers. We were expecting to be pestered by countless beggars – we were not, and we felt very safe wandering around. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be on your guard nor wander down dimly lit quiet streets at night.
The old Medina, 10 minutes walk from the hotel, encapsulated all my visions of a city straight out of Arabian Nights. Covering the hillside, it is a maze of narrow streets with row upon row of countless shops selling traditional Moroccan crafts, for which you have to bargain hard over the price. Le Petit Socco located in the heart of the Medina is one of Tangiers’s most picturesque sites. It is also an interesting place to have a cup of mint tea in one of the many cafes and ponder on its past and seedy atmosphere. In the heyday of the international zone, the Petit Socco was infamous for prostitution, drug taking and pornographic films!
That evening for my husband’s birthday, we booked a table for dinner at Villa Josephine, set in the hills above Tangiers and a 10 minute taxi ride away. This restaurant had been recommended as the best in Tangiers and it certainly lived up to its reputation. I would go so far as to say that it is probably the most opulent restaurant I have ever been to and the food (French/ Moroccan) was excellent. For what was undoubtedly one of the most expensive restaurants in Tangiers we paid 1,200 Durham’s (€109) for a two course meal, coffee and a bottle of Moroccan Beauvallon Blanc wine.
The following day we used the same taxi driver to take us on a guided tour of Tangiers. This was an excellent way to see the city and its surroundings. Samir showed us the Royal Palaces, the caves of Hercules, Plage Ashakar, Cap Spartel, the old Phoenician graves, and whats more explained all the interesting history surrounding these places.
We chose to have dinner that evening at a traditional Moroccan restaurant in the Medina called Hamadi´s. Up a flight of stairs, this restaurant was fun. A group of musicians playing traditional Moroccan music greeted us. The decoration, ambiance and food were all excellent. We had a traditional Moroccan 3 course meal with 2 succulent tagines and a bottle of excellent local wine for 368 Durham’s (€33).
The following day we decided to take it a little easier and to explore the Kasbah at the top of the Medina. This area was full of character and fascinating to wander around. The main attraction in the Kasbah is the Sultanate Palace. This was the palace of Moulay Hafid, the Moroccan Sultan exiled to Tangier by the French in 1912. Today, the palace has been converted into a museum, but retains much of its past glory.
Our final dinner in Tangiers was at a lovely French restaurant just round the corner from the hotel called Le Marquis at 18 Rue Tolstoi (tel: 941132 or 943166) . We felt like we were walking into a traditional Parisian restaurant. The owner greeted us warmly and made suggestions from the menu as to the food we might like. The menu offered a selection of broadly priced dishes but as it was our last night, we decided to splash out and chose probably the most expensive dishes on the menu. After our starters, we both had John Dory fish with a cream, prawns, mushroom and cheese sauce which was absolutely delicious and the fish was cooked to perfection. We also had an another excellent Moroccan white chardonnay wine - Beavallon, Beni M´Tir Blanc. The cost of this meal came to 819 Durham’s (about €74) for the two of us, which we thought was very good value for such lovely food.
We would definitely recommend this restaurant without hesitation. Sean Connery (James Bond) obviously likes it too, judging by the number of photos of his smiling face taken in the restaurant with the owner on a number of different occasions!
Sadly we had to return home the following day but like “James Bond” we will definitely be going back.
Sue Neilson was awarded the accolade of Corporate Travel Manager of the Year in 2000. She also chaired the judging panel for the UK’s Business Travel awards.
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