Tangier City

Tangier is the main gateway to Africa from Europe. Ferries run from Tarifa and Algeciras in Spain and also from Gibraltar. The harbour is for both ferries and commercial imports. It is crowded and somewhat chaotic. A new commercial port is being built 40kms to the east and this should be open in 2006. When this is completed, the ferry port at Tangiers will be much more user-friendly.

The airport ,Ibn Batouta, is 8 kms from Tangiers on the Asilah road. A spanish company has been awarded the contract to improve the baggage handling facilities. The train station is 3kms from the docks at the far end of the main town beach .It was opened two years ago and serves Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Oujda amongst others.

There is a long sandy beach near the centre of the town which stretches in the direction of the railway station. The Grand Socco is the principal market area. It is close to the harbour entrance and leads to the Medina. It was here where the eccentric American Barbara Hutton, of Woolworth's fame, lived.

There are areas of modern, expensive housing to the west of the city on the road to the golf course and Cap Spartel, and to the east at Cap Malabata.