I travelled to Morocco for a long weekend (Friday to Monday) and during our stay we tried to see as many areas of the country as was feasible. We were based out of Tangier, a city on the northwest coast on the edge of the Strait of Gibraltar. Our second was focused on visiting the Caves of Hercules.
On our second day in Morocco we walked to Maison La Roche for brunch. It was a lovely restaurant with lots of good food (and that fantastic mint tea). After breakfast we walked to a nearby hotel to book a car to Chefchaouen for the next day. Once we had our transport arranged, we called a cab and headed out for the day.
The Caves of Hercules
For the afternoon, we took the cab out to the Caves of Hercules, which sit fourteen kilometres west of Tangier. The Caves of Hercules are a cave system that open out to the Atlantic Ocean. From inside the caves you can see through an opening in the shape of Africa (when looked at from the sea).
We spent around half an hour exploring the cave system, watching the waves crash through into the cave and feeling the spray. The cave is part natural and part manmade, formed from limestone, and full of history – both legend and fact. I would definitely recommend a stop here if you are visiting Northwestern Morocco.
Beaches in Achakar
Following our exploration of the caves, we made our way down to the adjacent beach. We had the area to ourselves, so we relaxed on the sand and swam in the water (well, waded; the water wasn’t warm enough for a full swim).
After spending a little under 2 hours soaking in the sun, we continued our way down the beach. We took a large set of colourful stairs up to the road.
Once level with the street, we made our way along the road, looking for a place to have dinner. On our way we were followed by a very friendly (and presumably stray) dog. We walked with the dog for at least twenty minutes before we found Café Melbana, which wasn’t open, but allowed us to use their restrooms. As we continued along the road, we passed a few camels, waiting for interested customers.
Dinner at Sunset
Around 6 pm we finally made our way to Café Restaurant Sol Achakar for dinner. We ate outside on the patio and watched the sunset over the water after we finished our meal. It certainly wasn’t easy finding vegetarian options everywhere in Morocco, but I did my best. Occasionally some flexibility is necessary while travelling; I have travelled as a pescatarian in some countries due to the difficulty in finding vegetarian options.
While I wasn’t as impressed by the food here as I had been the day before, the view at Café Restaurant Sol Achakar was unparalleled. Quickly, before we lost the light, we continued the remaining 1.3 km to the viewpoint where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic. It may not seem too far, but it was all uphill and we were racing the already-set sun.
We made it to the sign in time to take pictures. The sign is in Arabic and French, a product of colonisation as Morocco’s true official languages are Arabic and Amazigh.
We had an awkward encounter with a few men at the viewpoint, the first of the day. Being outside the density of the city (and in an area perhaps more popular amongst tourists), we had limited but friendly interactions with the locals in the Achakar area. We were able to find a taxi from the viewpoint back to Tangier. We had a quiet evening in as our tour left early the next day.
If you are interested in Chefchaouen, Morocco’s Blue City, make sure you are subscribed, as it will be next week’s post.
