By late afternoon the light softens over the Strait of Gibraltar, the fishing boats come back into the port, and the terraces along Boulevard Pasteur begin to fill. The medina, quiet in the midday heat, stirs again as the evening call sounds and the lanes fill with people walking, shopping and drinking tea.
Tangier's nightlife is informal and spread out rather than concentrated in one strip. It suits visitors who prefer to move between a café, a bar and a walk rather than settle in a single venue for the night, and who are happy for the evening to be shaped by the city's mix of Moroccan and European habits.
Where to go out in Tangier
1. The medina
The old town is at its most active in the evening and at night, when the lanes fill with shoppers and people out walking. It rewards wandering rather than a fixed plan, so treat it as a place to get lost in on foot and to stop whenever something looks worth stopping for.
This suits an early-evening start, before or after dinner, rather than a late-night session.
2. Boulevard Pasteur and the Terrasse des Paresseux
This is the city's classic evening walk, with a view out to the sea from the Terrasse des Paresseux. It works well as a first stop while the light is still good, or as a way to move between other parts of town.
Come here for the view and the stroll; it is a place to pass through rather than to settle into for hours.
3. Avenue Mohammed VI and the beachfront
The beachfront avenue and the port area are where you can watch the fishermen bringing in their catch. It is a low-key, open-air kind of evening rather than a night out built around venues.
Best suited to a walk in the early evening, before the rest of the night begins.
4. The Kasbah
The Kasbah is named as one of the places to head for good views of the city and the sea. Like the medina below it, it is somewhere to walk rather than somewhere organised around a single bar or club.
Go for the outlook and the atmosphere of the old streets; keep it as part of a walk rather than a destination in itself.
5. Café terraces
Cafés are the backbone of an evening in Tangier, and the sources describe a wide range of them: some with views, some with good coffee, some popular, some with music, some with good cakes, some to relax in after a day of shopping, and some that are rather sleazy. Café El-Hafa, near Avenue Hadj Mohamed Tazi, opened in 1921 and has been visited by writers and artists, with a view over the Strait of Gibraltar where you can drink tea while watching the boats pass.
This is the right choice for a calm evening, a conversation, or a break in the middle of a walk. Fresh fruit juices are sold by street vendors in the summer months, and cafés also serve fresh juices, often including a mix of fruit juices with milk, apple and almond.
6. Bars and hotel bars
The sources note that there are many places to drink in Tangier and that much depends on the current owner, who tends to give a place its particular character. Bars and discos with foreign and local clientele are described as including Casa Pepe, Sable D'or, Morocco Palace, Marco Polo (popular with truck drivers) and hotel bars such as the Ramada and El Minzah. Bar Tangerine on Rue Magellan is described as a nice little bar for a drink in the evening or at the weekend, and La Fuga on Rue Ibn Zaidoun as a café and pizzeria.
This suits a later, more conventional night out. Because the character of these places depends on whoever is running them, treat the descriptions as a starting point rather than a guarantee.
7. Bakeries and tea houses
La Española on Rue La Libérté is a bakery and tea house specialising in cakes. It is an option for an early or quiet part of the evening rather than a late one.
Suited to a slow start to the night, or to ending it somewhere calm.
How a night out unfolds
The sources do not give fixed hours for eating or going out. What they do indicate is that the medina is most active in the evening and at night, that the beachfront and port are best for watching the fishermen bring in their catch, and that cafés, bars and discos carry the night onward from there. Plan on starting with a walk or a terrace while it is still light, and let the rest of the evening follow from what is open and busy around you.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Tanjazz — a yearly jazz festival with artists from around the world, comprising large outdoor concerts in the city's squares and smaller indoor performances.
- Unity Day — 31 October.
- Anniversary of the Green March — 6 November.
- Independence Day — 18 November.
- New Year's Day — 1 January.
- Anniversary of the Independence Manifesto — 11 January.
- Amazigh New Year — 14 January.
- Ramadan — begins around 8 February (date tentative).
- Eid al-Fitr — around 10 March, with a holiday the following day (dates tentative).
- Labour Day / May Day — 1 May.
- Eid al-Adha — around 17 May, with a holiday the following day (dates tentative).
Frequently asked questions
When is the medina at its best for an evening out?
The medina is most active in the evening and at night, so that is the time to walk it.
Where can I get a view over the sea in the evening?
The Terrasse des Paresseux, the Kasbah and Café El-Hafa are all named as places with views of the city and the sea.
Is there a jazz festival in Tangier?
Yes. Tanjazz is held yearly, with large outdoor concerts in city squares and smaller indoor performances.
What can I drink if I do not want alcohol?
Cafés serve coffee, tea and fresh fruit juices, and street vendors sell fresh fruit juices during the summer months.
Decide where you want to start — a terrace, the medina or the beachfront — and build the rest of your evening around it.