# Tetouan and Tamuda Bay

Tetouan, set against Jebel Dersa facing the Strait of Gibraltar, keeps an Andalusian medina UNESCO-listed in 1997 and a Spanish Protectorate town; nearby Tamuda Bay lines up 15 km of sand on the Mediterranean. For a cultural stop between Tangier and Chefchaouen, or a beach stay in northern Morocco.

Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/morocco/tetouan/

## The daughter of Granada

The Moroccan National Tourist Office calls Tetouan "the daughter of Granada". UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which keeps the World Heritage List) explains why: a link between Morocco and Andalusia from the 8th century, the city was rebuilt after the Reconquista by refugees driven out of Spain, and its architecture and art show strong Andalusian influence. It flourished from the early 17th to the late 18th century.

The medina climbs the slopes of Jebel Dersa, inside a wall about 5 km long pierced by seven gates. For UNESCO it is "one of the smallest Moroccan medinas, but undoubtedly the most complete": most of its buildings have remained untouched by outside influences. Its layout is easy to read: main streets link the gates and lead to squares, fondouks (old merchants' inns), mosques, zawiyas (seats of religious brotherhoods) and craft quarters; secondary lanes and cul-de-sacs serve the houses.

**What you see as you walk.** Lanes lined with white and green houses, craftsmen at work outside their doors, such as wood painters. The Mellah, the former Jewish quarter, is lined with jewellers; its main street leads to the Royal Palace. In the Guersa El Kebira quarter work the Jebli embroiderers, who also sell mendils, lengths of cloth in red, blue or white.

The city keeps these skills alive: UNESCO mentions its school of arts and crafts, Dar Sanaa, and its National Institute of Fine Arts.

A 2-hour guided tour can be booked from €15 per person on Civitatis, an activity booking platform, and a 2 h 30 private tour from €80 (prices checked on 14 October 2026). To sleep in the medina, Blanco Riad, a restored 18th-century riad, has 8 rooms around a colonnaded courtyard; car access is difficult and there is no parking.

## The Spanish town

Tetouan was the capital of the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco until independence in 1956. It keeps a European-style district from that time, the Ensanche, west of the medina, and monuments of the period: the church of Our Lady of Victory, consecrated in 1925, the former Spanish casino and the General Library. According to UNESCO, the medina itself influenced the architecture and arts of the Spanish Protectorate period: the two towns echo each other.

Sabaro recommends walking from one to the other in a morning: the medina first, then the Ensanche and the Archaeological Museum.

## Tamuda Bay

On the coast, about thirty minutes from Tetouan, Tamuda Bay offers, in the words of the Moroccan National Tourist Office, "15 kilometres of fine sandy bay" on the Mediterranean, with water sports and upmarket hotels. The two hotels in Sabaro's selection are both on the beach:

- **Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay**, at Fnideq, in the north of the bay: 92 villas, each with a private pool, a private beach, a spa with hammam and a kids' club; about 90 minutes from Tangier airport;
- **Sofitel Tamuda Bay**, at M'diq: private beach, spa, kids' club for ages 4 to 12 and a programme for 13 to 17-year-olds; about an hour from Tangier. The nearest airport is Tetouan's.

**The season.** The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 1991-2020 normals for the Tetouan station show a warm but not excessive summer: an average maximum of 30 °C in July and August, and only 6 days a year above 35 °C on average. From June to August there is hardly any rain. Winter is mild but wet: from November to January, 90 to 100 mm of rain falls each month, over about 7 to 9 days, and the January minimum stays at 9.3 °C. Sabaro recommends the beach from June to September, and the medina all year round, with an umbrella in winter.

## What to combine with Tetouan

- **Chefchaouen**, the blue town of the Rif, 1 h 38 away by road: Tetouan is the natural stop between Tangier and Chefchaouen. The Al Hoceima-Chefchaouen-Tetouan road flows well and poses fewer problems than the Rif's secondary roads.
- **Tangier**, about 1 h 20 away by road, with its airport, ferries and the Al Boraq high-speed train.
- **Fez**, 4 h 57 away by road: Sabaro recommends a night in Chefchaouen on the way.
- **The eclipse of 2 August 2027**: Tetouan lies in the path of totality; totality lasts about 4 min 55 s there, with maximum eclipse at around 8.47 am local time.

The city also hosts several festivals: the Mediterranean film festival, a comics festival and a festival devoted to women's voices.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Tetouan medina listed?

Yes, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. UNESCO describes it as one of the smallest medinas in Morocco but the most complete, enclosed by a wall about 5 km long pierced by seven gates.

### How long do you need to visit Tetouan?

A day is enough for the medina and the Spanish town. Sabaro recommends spending a night there on the way to Chefchaouen, or staying on Tamuda Bay and coming up for the day.

### Where can you swim near Tetouan?

On Tamuda Bay, about thirty minutes away by road, which offers 15 km of fine sand on the Mediterranean, from M'diq to Fnideq. The season runs from June to September.

### How do you get from Tangier to Tetouan?

By road, in about 1 h 20. Tetouan also has its own airport, Saniat R'mel.

### Can you see the total eclipse of 2 August 2027 from Tetouan?

Yes. Totality lasts about 4 min 55 s there, with maximum eclipse at around 8.47 am local time.