Tetouan city sits between the Rif Mountains and beautiful Martil Valley. White walled houses and green tiled roofs and Spanish and Moorish architecture make this attractive city a worthwhile stay. Full of vitality, this place has plenty of traders guilds and artisans with lots of shopping opportunities.

The Rif Mountains separates much of Morocco from the Mediterranean. Full of history, this mountain range has played host to numerous conflicts between Moroccan rulers and local tribes. If you’ve been to Southern Spain or Gibraltar, you may already have seen this dramatic mountain chain across ‘the Med’.

Like much of Morocco, this area is opening up to both holiday and property development interest. If visiting for pleasure, you may find this place so appealing that you look at new build and off-plan homes. Properties in Morocco offer good investment opportunities giving an ‘exotic’ location with long summer seasons.

Whatever your motivation, here are some places you can visit in this area:

• In Tetouan
• Place Hassan II, the main square and former market place
• The medina with its historic souks and the newer ‘Ville Nouvelle’
• The Moroccan Arts Museum and Artisan School
• The Ensemble Artisanal and Archeological Museum and
• The Mellah, the old Jewish quarter
• Tetouan’s local beach strip between Martil and Fnideq. You can catch a bus to most of the beaches. There’s a stretch of beautiful, fine sandy beach starting at Martil and stretching around the Cabo Negro point. Martil is a fishing village, run down in parts but with plenty of character.

If you’re looking for a young crowd, then try Oued Laou beach which lies further south.



• Chefchaouen, one of the most prettiest and visitor-friendly towns in Morocco. It is visually stunning as it sits between two peaks and has striking blue-washed walled houses and a beautiful medina
• Historic Tangier, established as one of the top end resorts in the Mediterranean for many years. It has a good café and beach life and is easy to find your way around. Visit Petit Soccoo, an old square full of cafés where famous writers Bowles and Burroughs used to frequent
• golfing attractions. There’s the Cabo Negro Royal Golf and Tangier Royal Golf Club and
• Ceuta, a Spanish enclave working to Spanish time. Whilst not especially attractive it is of some political interest.

Travelling from Tetouan city

You can get a bus from the main bus station on Boulevard de Mouquauama. Regular routes include Chefchaouen, Tangier, Meknes and Fes.

CTM and private bus companies run from this point. It’s good to try and use the national CTM buses where possible. Or if you’re prepared to pay a bit more, you could take a grand taxi to your destination.