UNESCO heritage & Andalusian soul

Tetouan: Morocco's White Dove

A UNESCO-listed medina built by refugees from Andalusia, a Spanish colonial town beside it and the Rif mountains behind, with far fewer visitors than the big imperial cities.

The white town from the rooftops of the old medina. Photograph: Ideophagous, CC BY-SA 4.0

UNESCO listed: 1997
Population: About 380,000
To Chefchaouen: About 60 km, 1.5 hours
Best season: Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct

Andalusia Across the Strait

A city rebuilt by refugees who brought the architecture, crafts and culture of Islamic Spain with them.

Tetouan (Arabic: Titwan) is a city of about 380,000 people in the foothills of the western Rif, some 10 kilometres from the Mediterranean. An older settlement here was largely destroyed by Castilian forces in 1399. In the late 15th century Sidi Ali al-Mandri refounded it with a community of Andalusian Muslims driven out of Spain during the Reconquista, many of them from Granada, which fell in 1492. Among them were craftsmen, merchants and scholars, and they rebuilt in Tetouan the kind of city they had left.

Where Fes and Marrakech are built in ochre and earth tones, Tetouan's medina is limewashed white in the Andalusian manner. The lanes are narrow and enclosed, with overhanging upper floors, iron window grilles and carved doorways that recall the Albaicín in Granada. The same inheritance runs through the town's Andalusian classical music, its cooking, and its zellige and carved plaster.

The Spanish protectorate (1913 to 1956) added a second layer. As capital of Spanish Morocco, Tetouan got a colonial new town, the Ensanche, beside the medina: boulevards, Art Deco buildings, a Catholic church and apartment blocks that could stand in Madrid. The two towns still sit side by side, and few international visitors come to see them.

Top Attractions in Tetouan

The medina, the palace square and the Spanish town are all on foot from each other; the beaches are a short taxi ride.

The UNESCO medina: Free. Shops open daytimeInscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, Tetouan's medina is one of the most complete in Morocco, and its Andalusian character sets it apart. The walls are whitewashed rather than ochre, with wrought-iron balconies, carved wooden doors and zellige that mixes Moroccan and Andalusian geometry. Refugees from Granada and the rest of al-Andalus built most of it in the late 15th and 16th centuries. It is calmer than Fes or Marrakech, and you can walk it without guides attaching themselves. The lanes near Bab el-Okla are among the most atmospheric.
The Royal Palace (Dar el-Makhzen): Exterior onlyThe palace stands on Place Hassan II, the square between the medina and the Spanish town. It is closed to the public, but the facade is worth the stop: tall carved doors in arched portals, zellige panels and green-tiled roofs, with guards at the gates. Come in the early evening, when families fill the square.
The artisan quarter: Free to browseTetouan is known for leatherwork, zellige, carved plaster and weaving, and the lanes around the small Souk el-Houts square (the old fish market) are where to see them. The School of Arts and Trades (Dar Sanaa), founded under the Spanish protectorate, still trains craftsmen in zellige, plasterwork and wood. Ask at your accommodation about visiting. Buying directly from a workshop puts the money with the maker.
The Archaeological Museum: Small. Allow 45 minutesA small museum just outside the medina, with mosaics, pottery, coins and sculpture from Tamuda, the ancient and Roman-era site in the Tetouan valley, and from other sites in the north. It rarely draws a crowd, and its garden is a quiet place to sit. Check the opening days locally before you go.
The Spanish quarter (Ensanche): FreeTetouan was the capital of the Spanish protectorate in northern Morocco from 1913 to 1956, and the Ensanche, the new town built beside the medina, still looks like a provincial Spanish town: wide boulevards, apartment blocks with iron balconies, Art Deco fronts and the church of Nuestra Señora de las Victorias. Walk Boulevard Mohammed V for the best of it, and stop at one of its cafes for pastries with a Spanish accent.
Martil and M'diq beaches: About 10 to 20 km. Half a dayThe Mediterranean is close. Martil, about 10 km east, has a long sandy beach and a promenade lined with cafes, busy with Moroccan families in summer. M'diq, further up the coast towards Fnideq, is a resort town with a marina and a curved beach. Shared grand taxis run to both from Tetouan. In July and August the beaches are crowded; on a weekday out of season they are quiet.

Where to Stay

Medina riads and new-town hotels, usually for less than in Fes or Marrakech. Check current prices when you book.

Blanco Riad: Boutique riad, medinaA small riad in a restored house on a quiet lane in the medina, a few minutes from the Spanish quarter.
Hotel Panorama Vista: Mid-range hotel, new townA modern hotel in the new town, a walk from both the medina and the Ensanche; upper rooms look towards the Rif.
Dar Rehla: Guesthouse, medinaA family-run guesthouse in the medina, near Bab el-Okla, with a roof terrace.

How to Get There

Buses and grand taxis connect Tetouan with Tangier, Chefchaouen and the rest of the north.

From Tangier: Grand taxi or CTM bus. 1 to 1.5 hoursThe most common route. Shared grand taxis leave from Tangier's grand taxi station once all six seats are filled, most often in the morning, and CTM buses run several times a day. The road crosses green hills with views of the sea. From Tangier Ibn Battuta Airport, agree the fare for a private grand taxi before you get in.
From Chefchaouen: Grand taxi or CTM bus. 1 to 1.5 hoursThe road comes down out of the Rif through a river valley and farmland; it winds in places but is paved throughout. Grand taxis are frequent, with the most departures early in the morning. Many travellers pair the two towns over three or four days in the north, and Tetouan works as a day trip from Chefchaouen, or the other way round.
From Fes: CTM bus, about 5 to 6 hoursDirect CTM buses cross the Rif, a scenic but winding road; take something for motion sickness if you need it. The alternative is the ONCF train from Fes to Tangier, then a grand taxi on to Tetouan. It is more comfortable but takes about as long overall.

Practical Tips

Bring some French or Spanish
Tetouan sees fewer tourists than Fes, Marrakech or Chefchaouen, which means fewer touts and less English. Spanish is widely spoken, especially by older residents, a legacy of the protectorate.
Plan around Friday
Friday is the holy day. Many medina shops close for long stretches and the town is quieter, so keep shopping and museum visits for other days.
Use it as a base
Chefchaouen (about 1.5 hours) and Tangier (about 1 hour) are both within reach, and rooms here usually cost less than in either.
When lost, go downhill
The medina is much smaller than Fes. If you lose your bearings, walk downhill towards Place Hassan II.
Ask before photographing people
Photographing the streets is fine, but always ask before photographing anyone, and especially women. Workshop owners usually agree.
Go mid-morning
Between about 10 am and noon the shops are open and the light falls into the white lanes.
Take a grand taxi to the beach
Shared grand taxis to Martil and M'diq leave often. The ride is short and cheap.