Day trip to Tangier

<p>Most people living in Gibraltar never actually cross to Morocco, which is baffling when you can see the Rif Mountains from the Rock on a clear morning. Tangier is roughly 35km from Gibraltar as the crow flies, and the ferry from Tarifa takes around 35 to 45 minutes. That is a shorter crossing than the Isle of Wight.</p> <p>Tangier has reinvented itself considerably in the past decade. The port area has been redeveloped, the medina is being slowly restored, and there is a real creative scene building around the Kasbah and the old diplomatic quarter. That said, it is still unmistakably Morocco: the souks are loud and sensory, the mint tea is sweet and theatrical, and the light at any hour of the day is extraordinary.</p> <p>The Kasbah sits at the top of the medina with views back over the Strait. On a good day you can see the Spanish coast from up there, which gives you a strange double perspective. The American Legation Museum is one of the most interesting buildings in North Africa, a former US consulate that is now a cultural centre and museum, free to enter, and well worth an hour. The Grand Socco square is the heartbeat of the city; the Petit Socco in the medina was where the Beat writers spent their hours in the 1950s, and the cafés have not changed much.</p> <p>Logistics: drive to Tarifa (45 min from Gibraltar), park in the port area, and take the FRS or Inter Shipping ferry to Tanger Ville. Return ferries are frequent. Bring your passport, you are crossing an international border. No visa required for British or Spanish passport holders. Most places accept euros; dirhams are useful for the medina. Allow a full day; half a day is not enough.</p> <p>Africa before lunch is not something you can say from many places in Europe. It is one of the best day trips you can do from the Rock.</p>