Tétouan

Tétouan's Medina has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city itself is an important transportation hub in the north.

Tétouan is very easy to reach by bus or grand taxi. Many travelers only see the bus station en route from Ceuta or Tangier to Chefchaouen, but it is well worth a longer visit.

By plane

• Sania Ramel AirportA rather small airport built by the Spanish colonial administration to serve Ceuta it now sees service only by smaller planes

The CTM bus station and the non-CTM bus station are located in the center, though the walk from the CTM station to the center is a hike up a rather steep hill.
The city center is quite small and most tourist attractions and hotels are located there, so there really is no need to use petite taxis. But if you choose to stay at one of the hotels on the way to Martil (Champs or Dreams) petite taxis and grand taxis are always available.
Petite taxis are very cheap, though the fare increases if you have luggage.
Though there is a decent-sized public bus system, they are notorious for running late and being filthy.
To get to nearby beaches, like Martil, Cabo Negro, Ricon, Marina Smir, and Kabila, grand taxis are easily found at a bottom of Rue Moulay Abbas (the road running along the park, beautiful views of the Rif Mountains). The fare for a single passenger to Martil is 5 dirham, but if you want a little more room you should purchase two seats. For less popular destinations, like Marina Smir, or for a more direct route to beaches like Cabo Negro and Kabila which require two different grand taxi rides, some travelers choose to bargain with the driver to purchase the whole taxi. This is often more expensive, but well worth it considering the time saved and the increased comfort. Drivers are often very happy to arrange to pick up passengers after their day at the beach, saving travelers time as well as hassle.
Local buses are also an adventure and cheaper than taxis. For example, when heading to Ceuta, you can take bus number 35 from just outside the CTM terminal, takes about an hour and drops you in Fnidiq. You can walk from there to the border (~30 min). After the border there are buses to the city center (€0.80).

Climate

Tétouan enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters. The average summer temperature is 35°C, while the average winter temperature is a wholly comfortable 22°C.
The city boasts an amazing amount of annual sunshine.

• The Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unlike any other Moroccan Medina, Tétouan offers a unique perspective on the multicultural history of northern Morocco and, because of its relatively small size, it offers visitors a chance to explore without getting hopelessly lost. There are three distinct sections of the Medina, the Andalusian, the Jewish, and the Berber sections, though the untrained eye might have trouble distinguishing between the three. Be sure to hire a guide and you'll enjoy the medina that much more.
• Mohammed V Ave. A pedestrian only road in the center. Filled with people in the evenings, after the day's heat has passed. Mohammed V is filled with dozens of cafes, teleboutiques, restaurants, tourist shops, and street vendors. Further down the street you'll find a used book sellers, offering books in a wide variety of languages, and then the king's palace.

Arts and crafts

• Tetouan Centre of Modern Art

  phone: +212-666 04 60 81
  address: Avenue Al Massira
  This museum displays mostly current Moroccan artists, and also Andalusian ones. It is situated in the nicely renovated old train station of Tétouan and is worth a visit; it especially showcases the reciprocal influcences of Morocco and Spain and started as a cooperation between Andalusia and Morocco.

• Ecole des arts et metiers de Tétouan

  phone: +212-539-97 27 21
  This is a school teaching classical arts and crafts which can be visited by the public and which is in a nicely decorated, interesting building with a nice garden.

• Saida Art Contemporain Tetouan

  phone: +212 539 716565
  address: 9 Wazir Mohamed Seffar
  A privately-run gallery displaying and selling modern art (current exhibitions can be found on website), and has a café/restaurant called Club de Tapas.

• Musée d’Art Marocain

• Archaeological Museum of Tetouan

• Ethnographic Museum of Tetouan

There is an old Kasbah on the top of the hill overlooking the town, with a good view of the mountains if you have a few hours to kill.

• Dar Loughat - Cross-Cultural Language Center

  phone: +212 66 66 8 77 88
  address: Place Moulay Mehdi 8, Rue M'hammed Benaboud
  Dar Loughat is a professional language center in Morocco providing intensive courses in all levels of Modern Standard Arabic and Colloquial Moroccan Arabic throughout the year. Through various immersion and language exchange activities, Dar Loughat provides its students daily contact with Moroccan life, allowing them to expand their vocabulary, improve their spoken language performance and better understand the local culture.

You will find some shops in the pedestrian area and around the city center. If you want to experience the local market feeling, go to the

central market square

or the

central market building

.

• Restaurant Restinga
• Ali Baba
• El Reducto
• Birjiss

• Pannini

  address: 5-6 Ave Mohammed Ben Aboud
  Small shop offering sandwiches made to order. Pick your fillings: meats, veggies, sauces, etc. Baguette sandwiches start at 13 dirham (unless you get a small), and paninis are about 20 dirham.
• Jenin

• Dallas

  address: 11 Rue Youssef Ben Tachfine
  Small teashop/patisserie with lots of sweets and baked goods on offer. Small, somewhat dark seating area in the back, filled with both women and men.

Za3Za3 is one of the most locally famous juices. It's a kind of milk-shake with avocado, banana, apple, some almonds, and some other ingredients.

• Blanco Riad

  phone: +212 539704202
  address: 25, Rue Zawiya Kadiria
  Beautiful hotel in a restored riad with lovely touches, such as stained glass windows on room doors. Friendly staff, nice garden area with a resident turtle, and good restaurant. Free breakfast and Wi-Fi.

• Hotel El Reducto

  phone: +212 539968120
  address: 38, Essaid Zanqat Zawya Kadiriya

• Hotel Panorama Vista

  phone: +212 5399-64968
  address: Avenue Moulay Abbas

• Hotel Principe

• Pension Iberia

  phone: +212 5399-63679
  address: Place Moulay El Mehdi
  relatively cheap, clean rooms, sink in the room, shared toilet, shower 10 dirham (warm)

• Riad Dalia

  phone: +212 539964318
  address: Place El Ouessaa 25
  Dates from the 19th-century and used to be the house of the Dutch consul during the days of the spanish protectorate. The rooms range from cheap singles to expensive palatial suites, featuring antique furniture, elegant fabrics and a traditional decor. Wi-Fi available. Beautiful terrace view. Every morning, a continental breakfast is served on site. The restaurant offers traditional dishes and guests can relax in the lounge.

Be alert at the bus station here; since many travelers only pass through, this is a popular spot for touts. When attempting to purchase a ticket, only talk with someone behind one of the counters, not with anyone standing anywhere near it. Some even have friends working in the bus station who will back them up in their attempt to divert you into an expensive taxi by agreeing that there are no buses to your destination. Be persistent, and show a willingness to wait as long as it takes.
While some complain this town is filled with hustlers and hasslers, others find it charming and a perfect place to make some Moroccan friends, especially if you speak Spanish.

• Chefchaouen – A historic city also dubbed the blue city.
• Oued Laou – A coastal town on the way to Chefchaouen.
• Ceuta – Spanish semi-exclave.
• Tangier – Famous port city with ferry connections to Spain.
• Oujda – In the very east of Morocco, near the Algerian border.