Feddan Park, Tetouan, Morocco. December 2019
Fish Tagine, El Reducto Restaurant, Tetouan, Morocco. December 25, 2019
Christmas in the White City
A "bonus" of traveling in Morocco on Christmas Day meant that everything was open and functioning on a normal schedule, Starbucks holiday cups notwithstanding. A planned "blue Christmas" for me in the city, Chefchauoen, became clearly undoable since it was not an easy day-trip from Tangier (even by taxi) . And, if I did manage a few hours there, the weather was likely to be damp and cloudy in late December. Chefchauoen, painted all blue and nestled in the Rif Mountains, has been "discovered" by modern tourism and is now a "must-see". Oh well, I wasn't going to the Blue City.
Luckily, the large transport hub, Tetouan, known as the "white city", was closer to Tangier with frequent bus service, so I figured I'd give it a go. Tetouan, founded by Spanish Muslims who had been kicked out of Spain after the Reconquista, promoted itself as a very "Spanish-style" city in Morocco (which had been a French colony not a Spanish colony). I was intrigued.
Tetouan is in foothills at the base of the Rif Mountains, so it is high up, but not in the mountains completely. A lovely beach down the mountain from the old city on the opposite side from Tangier is full of tourists in the summer. The ride there, on a super-comfortable bus run by the Moroccan Railways (to connect with high-speed trains in Tangier), felt luxurious and the road was all highway with lovely views as we climbed higher and higher after leaving Tangier Station. The bus stop was in the "new" part of the city, so I had to hoof it for about 15 minutes to the old city. Along the way, I passed turn of the 20th century buildings and a big cathedral. I was wondering, is THIS the "oh-so-Spanish" part of the city? It was clean and pleasant, but not "wow" at all and certainly not old. Then I came to the entrance of one of the King's Royal Palaces located at the edge the old city with a small "Archeological Museum" of Roman artifacts nearby. This was the "White City".
After seeing some stunning mosaics in the museum, I followed the walls' outer edge to Feddan Park, a modern square giving an incredible vista of the sea of white houses climbing the hillside behind the walls (see the photo) . I understood now why Tetouan was known as "the white city". Similar to villages of southern Spain or Greece, but on a larger scale, the entire city behind the walls was dazzling! I skirted the old city and followed the walls up the hill through some beautiful, old neighborhoods. Finally, I reached the old palace (Kasbah), off-limits to tourists and apparently unrenovated. What views the Sultan must have had over the city and Rif Mountains! I descended on the other side enjoying a stunning mountain view between the Kasbah/city wall and an old cemetery - with white tombs, appropriately. I finally entered the old city market by a lower gate.
Any traveler to Morocco should visit a traditional "souq" (market). The souqs of Tangier, Casablanca, Marrakech, and Fez are a mix of tourist junk and traditional items. Amazing places to walk around even with their assortments of fake tagine pots of all sizes, they have been heavily influenced by mass tourism. Tetouan's souqs looked to be 90% original. Themed parts of the market were shops clustered by what they produced or sold. A visitor could wander alleys filled with carpenters, motorcycle repair, spices, chicken feed - the variety was incredible. Much like walking in Venice, the place began to feel like a maze where all sense of direction was lost, small shops all started to look the same, and few big landmarks stood out for orientation. After a few frustrating dead ends, I made it back toward the main entrance (by the royal palace). I found a lovely restaurant built in a riad, a traditional Moroccan house, with the Spanish name "El Reducto" (the redoubt). The fish tagine was amazing and made for a memorable Christmas lunch (see the photo).
For me, Tetouan was a real "lemonade from lemons" experience on the trip. Frustrated that I missed "must-see", Chefchauoen, I rolled the dice and went to much lesser-known, Tetouan. The city was lovely and felt more "Moroccan" than many other places I visited. The souq of Tetouan was perhaps the best market of the whole trip. So many times in my travels the places I go by chance end up being the best experiences. It was a very Merry Christmas for me indeed.