Even the 5:30am call to prayer by the muezzin at the nearby mosque, didn’t ruin the wonderful feeling of waking up in an exotic location a mere 2½ hour flight from the UK. Grabbing a coffee, I climbed to the rooftop and watched the sun rise over Tangier and the Strait of Gibraltar, where the inky Mediterranean Sea and the azure Atlantic Ocean meet.
I have travelled to Morocco many times, but always by-passed Tangier in favour of the supposedly grander imperial cities of Marrakech and Fes. But when Jasper Conran’s rather lovely Villa Mabrouka opened, I knew it was time to correct my error and what I found was a gentler immersion into the madness of Morocco and a perfect place for my weekend adventure.
Sitting just outside the Kasbah (the old walled fort) it’s hard to find Villa Mabrouka. You enter through an innocuous black gate and are immediately transported into a stylish oasis of tranquility.
The former holiday home of the late Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, Jasper Conran has lovingly transformed the property into a cosseting boutique hotel, but also protecting the magic of the house with its 1930s feel - you can almost see Saint Laurent wafting along the black and white marble floors under vintage chandeliers on his way to his Hamman. The 12 suites - beautifully appointed with incredible white linen sheets that are ironed every morning - are split between the main building and cottages set in the ravishing gardens designed by Madison Cox.
On my first morning, I headed to the Grand Socco. This is the main square in the city that links the medina with the Ville Nouvelle (new town) and it’s the perfect place to people watch. Due to its geographical location on the northern tip of Africa an hour by ferry from Spain, Tangier has a curious medley of cultures found nowhere else in the country and sitting in the square, you get a full immersion into it all.
From here I entered through Bab (gate) Fass into the medina’s souks. Ambling through the maze of alleys I passed tiny bakeries, ancient bath-houses, mosques patterned with intricate tiles and merchants selling their wares.
One of the many joys of Morocco is its great food. So having the chance to discover how to make some of the delicious dishes was a joy. Guided by Lina, Fatima and Naila, I learnt how to mix the right spices for our fish tagine and how easy the flatbread was to make before it was sent out to the community bakery, returning in time for us to devour it with the tagine. Our class took place during Ramadan and so we shared our meal with our hosts as they broke their fast and we learnt about their lives in Tangier.
Tangier has a European creativity that descends from its brief independence from Africa, when the city became an International Zone attracting writers, artists and musicians looking to find inspiration, enlightenment, or escape in its (then) hedonistic side. After this period, Tangier went into decline, but now with a wave of investment initiated by King Mohammed VI, the city is well and truly on the up. Contemporary boutiques and galleries sit next to hole-in-the-wall shops. Set in a former prison, the Musée la Kasbah showcases works by contemporary Moroccan artists, while over in the medina, Musée Dar Niaba tells Tangier’s story through a fine collection of art and artifacts.
Strolling along the seafront, I marveled at all the waterfront apartments that have sprung up beside the new Tanja Marina Bay, where cafés and restaurants look out to docks lined with yachts.
After a few days in Tangier, I discovered a city that was a North African gem, offering that rare combination of both a vibrant cultural scene and a more relaxed, low-key energy. Whilst Villa Mabrouka was the perfect base - easy enough to access everything Tangier has to offer, but peaceful enough to spend afternoons soaking up the sun by the pool.
Tangier can be easily combined with Fez and the blue city of Chefchaouen or with a few days relaxing at a coastal retreat.
If you would like to try somewhere different for your next trip, please do get in touch as I would definitely recommend considering Tangier.