Tetouan

Tetouan is a city located in Mediterranean Morocco. With its UNESCO-protected medina and Spanish-style architecture, Tetouan is perhaps the jewel of Morocco’s Mediterranean coast. It is surrounded by limestone mountains covered in a thick forest. Tetouan is known for its excellent craftsmanship and musical lineage, making it a part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the area of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017.

Like most Moroccan towns, Tetouan is divided into the medina and the Ville Nouvelle, in this case, a Spanish Ensanche. Resting on the foothills of the Rif Mountains, Tetouan has also been called ‘Little Jerusalem’ and the ‘sister of Fez’. The city is one of the only places in Morocco where it is possible to hear church bells calling the faithful to prayer alongside the muezzinÍs call. Be it the Royal Palace from 1988 or the Kasbah overlooking the town, Tetouan is an excellent holiday destination for those who enjoy the countryside and relaxing retreats.

With a rich cultural lineage, Tetouan is studded with historical monuments and museums around the town. It is usually considered a weekend retreat from Tangier and Chefchaouen. One of Morocco’s two major Mediterranean Sea ports, it is located along the Martil Valley a few kilometres south of the Strait of Gibraltar and roughly 60 kilometres from Tangier.