Where to stay in Tangier
Tangier sits where the Mediterranean and Atlantic waters converge, in the words of the national tourist office. Its areas run from the white medina and the Kasbah above the bay to the newer city, the beach and the Atlantic headland at Cap Spartel.
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How the areas differ
The medina is the white Tangier the national tourist office describes: streets of lime-washed houses, the alleys around the Socco and, at the top, the Kasbah, the fortress that dominates the old town. The Sultan's Palace in the Kasbah is now given over to the arts of Morocco. The Grand Socco, officially Place du 9 Avril 1947, separates the medina from the newer city.
The city centre spreads beyond it around Place de France and Boulevard Pasteur. The tourist office counts the Cervantes theatre, built in 1913, among the signs of the city's Spanish influence, and the Gardens of La Mendoubia, beside the Grand Socco, among its five most popular sights in Tangier.
The Corniche follows the bay along Avenue Mohammed VI. The tourist office describes the city's main beach as fine sand right in the centre, near the hotels, with water skiing, sailing and diving in calm waters and a seafront lined with cafés and restaurants that is lively in the evening. Tanja Marina Bay, which the port authority calls the first urban marina in Morocco, sits at the foot of the medina, facing the bay.
Malabata is the eastern end of the bay, with its own beach and, further out, Cape Malabata with its lighthouse and early 20th century castle. Cap Spartel is the Atlantic side: a headland at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar and the north-westernmost point of Africa, with the Caves of Hercules carved into its massif and Achakar beach close by.
Staying with a rental car
Street parking is run for the city by Tanger Parking under a municipal decree of 2022: more than 800 pay-and-display machines cover about 20,000 places. The blue zone is for short stays by visitors, at 3 DH for an hour, 7 DH for 3 hours and 20 DH for 24 hours, and the time is checked by the machine or by a sworn agent. Green-zone places are reserved for subscribers, mainly residents and professionals, so a visitor's car does not belong there.
For the medina, the operator runs closed car parks at the Kasbah, Kasbah 1 and Kasbah 2 on Rue de la Kasbah, and at Bab El Marsa on Avenue Mohammed VI, all open 24 hours a day. It publishes no tariff for them, so ask at the gate, or ask the riad where its guests park. In the newer city and near the Corniche, the underground car parks at Iberia and Place des Nations sell a 60 DH day pass.
Malabata and Cap Spartel depend on the car: by road, the Route de Malabata is about 4 km from the Grand Socco and the Cap Spartel lighthouse about 13 km. For the airport run, the motorway south and the ferry port in the heart of the city, GetCar's guide Driving in Tangier: the Airport, Parking, Motorway Tolls and the Ferry to Spain covers the road side; in motorway tolls, Rabat is about 92 MAD away and Casablanca about 117 MAD.
What the tourist tax and check-in rules mean for a guest
Morocco's taxe de séjour is charged per person per night on top of the room price, and each commune sets its rate inside national ranges. Tangier's own rates were not found online, so the national ranges are the guide: 10 to 25 DH in a 5-star hotel, 5 to 10 DH in a 4-star, 3 to 7 DH in a 3-star, 15 to 30 DH in a guest house and 10 to 25 DH in a riad or a house rented to tourists. Children under 12 are exempt, and the invoice must show the tax on its own line.
Hotels, riads and guest houses need an operating authorisation under Law 80-14. At check-in each guest shows a passport and signs an individual registration form, the fiche de police, and the host declares the data electronically to the national police or the Gendarmerie every day before 8:00. Since Law 07-20 the tax also covers flats rented by their owners to tourists, including through online platforms.
When to book what
Ibn Battouta airport is 11 km south-west of the city centre, about 13 km by road to the Grand Socco. The airport authority's taxi page, as archived in February 2024, listed fixed fares of 100 DH to the city from 05:30 to 22:30 and 150 DH at night, so a stay in the medina or the centre can start without a car. Whether those fares still apply is unverified as of September 2026.
Book the car for the days it is needed: the drive out to Cap Spartel, the Atlantic coast or the motorway south. For a stay in Malabata or at Cap Spartel, pick it up at the airport and book a room with parking. Summer changes the sums in the underground car parks: the Quartier Administratif tariff sheet adds 20% to subscriptions in June and September and 30% in July and August.
Which area for which trip
A first visit, riads and walking: the medina.
Shops, restaurants and a flat without much driving: the city centre.
The beach, the marina and evenings out: the Corniche.
A beach stay a little out of the centre, with a car: Malabata.
The Atlantic side and a villa, with a car: Cap Spartel.
Questions
Which area of Tangier is best for a first visit?
The medina, for the white houses, the alleys and the Kasbah, or the city centre just beyond the Grand Socco, for shops and restaurants within walking distance of the old town.
Where do you park when staying in the Tangier medina?
Tanger Parking runs closed car parks at the Kasbah (Kasbah 1 and Kasbah 2) and at Bab El Marsa on Avenue Mohammed VI, open 24 hours a day. Their tariffs are not published, so ask at the gate or ask the riad.
How much is street parking in Tangier?
In the blue zone, 3 DH for an hour, 7 DH for 3 hours and 20 DH for 24 hours. Green-zone places are for subscribers, mainly residents and professionals.
How much is a taxi from Tangier airport to the city?
The airport authority's taxi page, as archived in February 2024, listed 100 DH from 05:30 to 22:30 and 150 DH at night. Whether those fares still apply is unverified as of September 2026.
What is the tourist tax in Tangier?
The taxe de séjour is charged per person per night. Tangier's own rates were not found online; the national ranges run from 10 to 25 DH in a 5-star hotel and from 15 to 30 DH in a guest house, and children under 12 are exempt.