We had only two days to explore outside Tangier, and our group leader picked Tetouan and the seaside town of Asilah. Great choice. Asilah is a delight for a short visit and to get the flavor of life in Morocco.
Take a local bus from Tangier and arrive after 40 minutes in Asilah. Please note the highway signs spell it Assilah. The bus stops beside the coast highway, and from there it is a short walk to the center of town and the traditional walled city, the medina.
Stroll toward the waterfront and enter the medina across the plaza from the cluster of shops and restaurants on the beach. Enter another world.
Absent is the mad bustle that is the medina of Tangier. The streets are quiet and more open, and the pace is relaxed. Whitewashed buildings gleam in the sun, a Berber woman carries produce on the back of a donkey and horse-drawn wagons rumble along stone streets. You are truly off the beaten path, but not so much so. I walked to the sea wall and recalled having seen this image before.
At the bottom of the cliff, beyond the wall and below the city the North Atlantic beats against the rocks. Behind the wall, people live and work and carry on their lives, perhaps unaware of the charm outsiders find here. For the photographer there is the expected wealth of color as well as the delight of the unexpected.
Dining is pleasant in Asilah. A small sidewalk café outside the main gate serves sandwiches and drinks. Adequate restroom facilities are available, unlike at the bus terminal. Take advantage.
Additional sights await in the main town. Colorful carpets hang from terrace walls, and the sparkling white Christian Church of Saint Bartolome recalls the Spanish influence here. A road sign in Arabic and French reminds the visitor how far he is from home.