For a more adventurous day out from our break in western Andalucia, why not take a day trip to Tangiers in Morocco?  You could try some of the traditional foods of Morocco, such as couscous, tajines (types of stew), pastille (pigeon meat, rice and egg – tastier than it sounds), harira (chick pea soup), or maybe hunt for bargains in the authentic souks and bazaars.

The ferry to Tangiers leaves from Tarifa on the southern tip of Spain, about a 90 minute drive from the hacienda.  The crossing takes just 35 minutes and, with good timing, it is possible to spend about 9 hours in Tangiers.  This is a long day out but many people find it to be worth it.

The ferry service is run by Ferrys Rapidos del Sur (www.frs.es).  There are typically six crossings a day, the late morning one being a good one to aim for.  Tangiers is on a different time zone to Spain and in the summer it is 2 hours behind Spain, so the 11:00am crossing gets into Tangiers at 9:45am local time.  Nine hours later, you could get the 19:00 departure (Moroccan time) from Tangiers which gets back to Spain at 21:45.  Cost is currently about 55 euros return per person

FRS also organise some guided trips to Tangiers where they arrange a programme for the day.  You are met at Tangiers port and taken into the city centre for a tour of the Kasbah and the souk.  Lunch will be at a typical local restaurant followed by a tour of the city and surrounding countryside, including camel riding, and ends with visits to various craft shops.  Cost is currently about 55 euros per person (including ferry costs)

Prior to 1956 when it achieved independence from the collective of  foreign nations that administered it, Tangiers was a free port notable for low taxation and a “sympathetic” system of law and order.  It offered a freedom and a way of life that couldn’t be found in the West at the time and so attracted a huge ex-pat community that included Peter Bowles (author of The Sheltering Sky which was made into a spectacular movie by Bertolucci), and various “beat” writers such as Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs (who wrote his most famous work Naked Lunch there), and Allen Ginsberg.  At one time ex-pats made up over half the city’s population.

Following independence, the city was “cleaned up” and most of the ex-pats left.  Many of the locations they frequented are still there but are in some decay.  The city now tries to avoid its past reputation for freely-available sex and drugs and concentrates on being a tourist resort for Spain and Morocco. 

Most visitors to Morocco will find that shopping in the bazaars and souks is one of the most entertaining things they do.  There are literally hundreds of “hole in the wall” shops and stalls.  Many of these are aimed at taking money off unwary tourists with low quality goods but there are plenty that do offer fine items.  There are lots of shops offering pottery, leather goods (especially belts, bags and wallets) and jewellery (though Moroccan styles are something of an acquired taste perhaps).  It is also extremely difficult to get out of Tangiers without purchasing a rug or blanket of some sort.  For those people who like haggling, it is all a great way to spend an afternoon.

Tangiers remains a very exciting city and the incredible mix of North African cultures is still present.  For those who are looking for something a bit different, it is still well worth a visit.