Overview
The 1 Day Tour from Tangier to Asilah is the most rewarding day trip from Tangier — and one of the most purely enjoyable short excursions in all of Morocco. Asilah is a small Atlantic port town 46 kilometres south of Tangier, but it is utterly different from anything else in the country: a perfectly preserved Portuguese-era walled medina painted brilliant white and blue, with sea-facing ramparts, cobbled lanes, an extraordinary tradition of international street art, and a beach that is among the most beautiful on the entire Atlantic coast.
The town is famous throughout Morocco for its annual International Cultural Moussem — an arts festival that each summer brings muralists and visual artists from across the world to paint vast new murals on the walls of the medina. These murals, accumulated over more than forty years of the festival, cover every surface in the old town — abstract compositions, portraits, calligraphy, geometric patterns, and landscape paintings, all in the brilliant Atlantic light that makes the colours impossible here. Walking the medina is like walking through an open-air contemporary art gallery inside a fifteenth-century Portuguese fortress.
Beyond the art, Asilah has a character that is entirely its own. The medina is small enough to walk across in twenty minutes yet rich enough to occupy half a day. The Portuguese ramparts — built in 1471 and remarkably well-preserved — run along the sea cliffs and offer views north toward Cape Spartel and south down the open Atlantic. The beach immediately south of the medina walls is long, sandy, and uncrowded on weekdays. The fish restaurants along the port are excellent.
Most visitors to Tangier never make it to Asilah — which is extraordinary given how close it is and how beautiful it is. Those who do consistently describe it as their favourite place in Morocco.
Highlights
- Drive south along the Atlantic from Tangier to Asilah (45 minutes)
- Enter the whitewashed medina through the sixteenth-century Portuguese gate
- Guided walk through the murals and lanes of the old city
- See the Place Mohammed V — the heart of the medina and its cafés
- Walk the Portuguese sea ramparts with views over the open Atlantic
- Visit the Hassan II Palace courtyard (when open)
- Explore the beach south of the ramparts — one of Morocco’s finest
- Seafood lunch at a harbour restaurant
- Browse the small galleries and craft shops of the medina
- Return to Tangier along the coastal road
Itinerary
Morning: Drive South to Asilah
Depart Tangier and drive south along the A1 motorway and then the coastal road, following the Atlantic shoreline. The drive takes approximately 45 minutes and passes through the argan-dotted coastal hills north of Asilah. On arrival, your guide leads you through the main gate of the medina — the Bab Homar — into the heart of the old city.
Mid-Morning: Medina Walk & Murals
The guided walk covers the full extent of the medina — which is small enough to navigate comfortably but rich enough to discover new details at every turn. The murals are the defining feature: vast compositions that cover entire house facades, some abstract, some figurative, some purely geometric, all in conversation with the white-painted walls and cobblestones around them. The Place Mohammed V, at the heart of the medina, is the social centre — ringed with cafés and overlooked by the green-tiled minaret of the main mosque.
Late Morning: Sea Ramparts
Walk the Portuguese sea ramparts — the circuit runs along the cliff edge above the Atlantic, with views of the open ocean to the west and the fishing boats in the small harbour to the south. The ramparts are among the best-preserved Portuguese fortifications in Morocco; the corner towers and artillery platforms date from 1471. At the southern end, the Borj al-Kamra tower is a dramatic viewpoint above the beach.
Lunch: Harbour Fish Restaurant
Lunch at one of the fish restaurants near the port — Asilah’s seafood is exceptional, caught locally each morning. Grilled fish, seafood pastilla, and the local speciality of merlan (whiting) are all outstanding.
Afternoon: Beach & Return
Free time on the beach south of the medina walls — a long, clean, Atlantic beach that is rarely busy outside high season. Return to Tangier by mid-afternoon, arriving in time for the evening in Tangier.
What’s Included
- Private transport Tangier–Asilah–Tangier
- Expert English-speaking licensed guide
- Guided walk of the medina, murals, and sea ramparts
- Seafood lunch at harbour restaurant
What’s Not Included
- International flights to and from Morocco
- Travel insurance
- Personal drinks and snacks
- Tips for guide and driver
- Personal purchases
- Visa fees where applicable
Travel Tips
Asilah is most beautiful in the early morning and late afternoon when the light catches the white walls and the murals. Arriving before 10am on a weekday means you’ll have the medina largely to yourself. The murals change each summer after the Moussem — if you visit in July or August you may see artists actually at work on the walls. The beach is best in the afternoon when the Atlantic wind picks up for a spectacular natural air conditioning effect. Bring a layer — it can be breezy even in summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can this day trip be extended to include Larache and Lixus? A: Yes — Larache is a charming small Spanish-colonial port town 25 kilometres south of Asilah, and Lixus is a spectacular hilltop Phoenician and Roman site above the Loukos river estuary. Adding both extends the day by 2–3 hours and makes for a superb full-day Atlantic coast excursion.
Q: Is Asilah suitable for families with children? A: Extremely so — the medina is small and safe, the murals fascinate children of all ages, the beach is excellent, and the town’s calm atmosphere is a pleasant contrast to Tangier’s energy. Highly recommended for families.
Q: When is the Asilah International Cultural Moussem? A: The Moussem typically takes place in late July or August, though exact dates vary each year. During the festival the town is at its most vibrant — though also busiest. Even outside the festival, the accumulated murals from forty years of the event make the town a year-round open-air gallery.