Tetouan: Morocco’s Hidden Gem Offers UNESCO Heritage and European Charm

With much of its architecture more European than African, its artistic heritage, its archaeological museum, its ethnography museum, as well as the Tetouan Museum of Modern Art, built in an old Spanish-style train station, its Grand Mosque, its proximity to the mountains, Tetouan has much to attract tourists, but it remains one of the unknown Moroccan destinations unlike Marrakech and Agadir which welcome many British tourists each year, especially during the summer season. Its main medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with some original elements from the 17th century still present.

According to tourists, Tetouan is a much cheaper destination for finding souvenirs compared to Marrakech. "We bought souvenirs in the Medina at half the price of Marrakech - the sellers are polite," one of them rejoices to the newspaper The SUN. "It was a real surprise for us, we found ourselves in a city that looked like Europe." For another tourist: "This medina has an old-world charm, without tourism. We discover Morocco as it must have been years ago."

Tourists can stay at Tamuda Bay located near the beach, which recently opened a new Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay (the first five-star in the complex) or at Club Med Village Yasmina, not far from the city or at the Blanco Riad hotel located in the heart of Tetouan. Blanco Riad, the most popular restaurant in the city, offers traditional Moroccan dishes such as tajine, according to Tripadvisor.

To reach Tetouan, British travelers must fly to Tangier, - less than three hours from the UK. Ryanair operates flights between the two cities. They then reach Tetouan by car in about 1h15. But it could soon be easier to get to Tetouan, with a new train line from Tangier in the works as well as a new highway.