Study Travel Spain - Know Morocco

Morocco is a country of vivid contrasts – a kaleidoscope of colours, smells, noises and spectacle. A sensual country that repays the visitor with a lifetime of memories. The cities and towns that we are going to visit are situated in the north of the African continent - in Morocco 's northern tip, easy and quick to get to, but offering quintessential insights into the real Morocco.

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Overlooking the narrow straits that separate Europe from Africa , you will find three of the country's most important cities: Tetuan, Tanger and Chef Chaouen. Here you will see not only reminders of the Spanish Protectorate but also the origins of the great civilisation that left its imprint in modern-day Andalucia.

Tetuan, Tanger and Chef-Chaouén are places of undeniable interest for any visitor to Morocco - here you will begin to understand and learn about the people , their traditions and cultures.

Only 45km from the Spanish border ( Ceuta ), Tetuan is the second oldest city of Morocco . The ‘Paloma Blanca' -White Dove- as it is also known, was once an emblematic city of the Spanish Protectorate. Today it has a rich mixture of different cultures.

Like all cities of Morocco it is made up of two parts: the most interesting of these is the ‘ Medina ' - the historic part.

Encircled by an ancient wall, The Medina has seven gateways. It is a labyrinth of small streets, creating a picturesque street market where you find a fascinating mixture of aromas, colours and flavours that can transport you back to medieval times.

It has seventeen white mosques, and many typical courtyards, with their cloisters and small shops.

In the Medina you will find all types of traditional craftsmen: leather tanners, silk merchants, metal workers and other ancient crafts – a fabulous world of artisans, noise and colour.

Of the many different people found in the hustle and bustle of the Medina , the most characteristic are those from the Rif mountains, the ‘Bereber' or ‘Rifeños'. Especially on market days they stand out with their clothes of traditional design and hats decorated with plaits painted in vivid natural colours, leaving an unforgettable impression in your memory. Tetuan is an atmospheric city that makes your senses come alive!

Legend says that Tanger was founded by Anteo, son of Poseidón and of Gaya (The Earth) and that he gave the city the name of his wife, Tinglis.

In ancient times, the city was successively occupied by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines and Goths. Towards the end of the great period of Islamic influence, Tanger succumbed to the greed of the great maritime powers and was occupied by the Portuguese in 1437, and then by the Spanish from 1578 to 1661. After this it fell into the hands of the English who returned it to the king of Morocco in 1684.

It is a magnificent city stretching along the edges of a beautiful bay. The city overlooks the narrow Straits of Gibraltar which separate Africa from Europe . Its strategic position accounts for the importance of its port and it tumultuous history.

It has a pleasant temperate climate (13º-23º) and has beaches stretching for 13km. They are on the same side of the bay as the city, and this, together with its proximity to Europe , makes it an important tourist destination, attracting millions of tourists throughout the year.

Again, in Tanger you will find two distinct cities: the ‘ Medina ' and the cosmopolitan, modern city. It is an open, bustling, welcoming city with plenty to see, full of hidden charms and strikingly contrasting colours against its predominant white background.

The city was built as a fortified city to defend the interior of Morocco from attack by the Spanish and Portuguese.

The word Chaouen comes from the Bereber Ishshawenn words meaning ‘the horns' which refer to the two hills that dominate the town.

Chef Chaouen is situated at an altitude of 610 metres in the Rif Mountains and is surrounded and protected by mighty mountains.

The city was founded at the end of the XV century by Muley Ali Ben Rashid and many splendid antiquities, gardens and fountains have been preserved from this period. The city of Chef Chaouen is especially famous for its variety of colours.

The houses are painted in traditional blue and white, creating a sensation of incomparable peacefulness that makes the town an oasis of tranquillity in the stark ‘Rifeño' landscape.