Stand at the top of the medina where the Kasbah sits on its hill and the white rooftops run down toward the Martil Valley, and you can see why Tétouan is called "Granada's Daughter." The old city below you is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, shaped by Andalusian refugees, and it is small enough to walk without getting hopelessly lost.
Tétouan suits travellers who want a medina they can actually learn in a day or two, and who are interested in the layers of Andalusian, Jewish and Berber history that meet here. It also suits hikers, since the city is surrounded by Mount Dersa and Mount Ghorghiz.
This guide covers the sights of the medina and the modern centre, the museums and craft institutions worth your time, and a one-day route that strings the best of them together.
Top things to do in Tétouan
1. Medina
The medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the heart of any visit. It is unlike other Moroccan medinas in that it is relatively small, so you can explore it without getting hopelessly lost, and it holds three distinct sections: the Andalusian, the Jewish and the Berber, though an untrained eye may have trouble telling them apart.
Hiring a guide is worthwhile here and will make the medina far more enjoyable. The historic gates are part of the experience: Bab El Okla, Bab Sebta, Bab Jiaf, Bab Mkaber and Bab Saida.
2. Bab El Okla
Bab El Okla, at 68, Rue Skala, is one of the medina's historic gates and houses the Ethnographic Museum, also known as the Bab El Okla Museum. It is a nice, small museum with dresses, artefacts, furniture, guns and the history of Tétouan.
Guides show you around in exchange for a tip, and admission is 20 dirham. It is open Wednesday to Monday, 10:00–18:00.
3. Dar El Oddi Museum
At 5, Derb Oddi, this house was built by the El Oddi family in the 1920s, later fell into complete disrepair, and was restored in 2018. It now houses a permanent exhibition, "Visions of Tetouan," displaying a collection of pictures of Tétouan's places, landscapes and urban spaces.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:30, and admission is 25 dirham.
4. Mohammed V Ave
This pedestrian-only road in the centre is filled with people in the evenings, after the day's heat has passed. Along it you will find dozens of cafes, teleboutiques, restaurants, tourist shops and street vendors.
Further down the street are used book sellers offering books in a wide variety of languages, and then the king's palace. Come in the evening for the street at its liveliest.
5. Museum of Modern Art
Also known as the Centre d'Art Moderne, this museum displays mostly current Moroccan artists as well as Andalusian ones. It is housed in the nicely renovated old train station of Tétouan and showcases the reciprocal influences of Morocco and Spain; it began as a cooperation between Andalusia and Morocco.
It is on Avenue Al Massira: walk to the lowest part of the park south of the medina, sometimes called "Lovers Park," and you reach a big crossroads with the museum clearly visible on the other side. It is open Tuesday to Saturday, 09:30–13:00 and 14:00–17:00, and admission is free.
6. Archaeological Museum of Tetouan
Among other things, this museum displays items found at the excavations of Tamuda, Lixus and the Yebala region. It is open Wednesday to Monday, 10:00–17:30, and admission is 10 dirham.
7. Tannery
This is the first tannery constructed in Tétouan, dating back to the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries. It is much smaller and less colourful than the ones in Fes, but it still showcases the whole process of leather processing.
You will find it through the small door on the left-hand side of the Bab Mkabar gate. Combine it with the gate itself, which is one of the medina's historic entrances.
8. École des arts et métiers de Tétouan
This is a school teaching classical arts and crafts, which can be visited by the public. It occupies a nicely decorated, interesting building with a nice garden.
It stands opposite Bab Okla, at the intersection of Avenue Mohamed Ameziane and Avenue Lamfadal Afilal; if you stand in front of Bab Okla and look into Avenue Lamfadal Afilal straight ahead, it is the building at the right-hand corner of the two streets. It is open Monday to Thursday 08:30–16:30 and Friday 08:30–11:30 and 15:00–18:00, with admission of 10 or 15 dirham.
9. Saida Art Contemporain Tetouan
This privately-run gallery displays and sells modern art, with current exhibitions listed on its website, and it has a café and restaurant called Club de Tapas.
Coming out of the medina at gate Bab Okla, turn left into Avenue Mohamed Ameziane; when the avenue takes its first sharper turn left, do not follow it, but go into the small road on the other side of the street, and the gallery is on the left after about 50 m. It is at 9 Wazir Mohamed Seffar.
10. Museum of religious heritage
Also known as the Musée du patrimoine religieux, this museum is on the premises of the former Mosque of Laouk and displays Muslim religious artefacts.
It sits within the medina, so it fits naturally into a walk that also takes in the historic gates.
11. Kasbah
The Kasbah is a dilapidated fortified castle on top of the hill overlooking the city, with good views of the mountains. You can only circle around it, as it is under construction.
Go for the views over the medina and the surrounding mountains rather than for access to the interior.
12. Royal Palace
The Royal Palace on Place El Mechouar is used by King Mohammed VI during his summer visits to Tétouan. It was built in 1988 in what was once Feddan Park.
It is off-limits to the public, as is most of the adjacent Place El Mechouar square, so plan to view it from outside as part of a walk through the modern centre.
13. Mount Dersa and Mount Ghorghiz
Tétouan is surrounded by two mountains, Mount Dersa and Mount Ghorghiz, which offer splendid hiking opportunities. They are the obvious choice if you want a day away from the streets of the medina and the modern centre.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start in the Medina, entering through Bab El Okla, where the Ethnographic Museum is housed. Continue to the Tannery, reached through the small door on the left-hand side of the Bab Mkabar gate, then walk the medina's Andalusian, Jewish and Berber sections with a guide.
Afternoon: Visit Dar El Oddi Museum for the "Visions of Tetouan" exhibition, then the Museum of Modern Art in the old train station, and the Archaeological Museum of Tetouan. If time allows, stop at the École des arts et métiers de Tétouan opposite Bab Okla, and at Saida Art Contemporain Tetouan nearby.
Evening: Walk up to the Kasbah for views of the mountains and over the city, then finish on Mohammed V Ave as the street fills after the day's heat has passed, with its cafes, restaurants and used book sellers.
Frequently asked questions
Is the medina easy to navigate?
Yes. Because of its relatively small size, Tétouan's medina offers visitors a chance to explore without getting hopelessly lost. It has three distinct sections, the Andalusian, the Jewish and the Berber, though an untrained eye might have trouble distinguishing between them. Hiring a guide will make the visit more enjoyable.
Can I go inside the Kasbah and the Royal Palace?
No. The Kasbah is under construction and you can only circle around it. The Royal Palace is off-limits to the public, as is most of the adjacent Place El Mechouar square.
Which museums are open, and when?
Bab El Okla, housing the Ethnographic Museum, is open Wednesday to Monday, 10:00–18:00. Dar El Oddi Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:30. The Archaeological Museum of Tetouan is open Wednesday to Monday, 10:00–17:30. The Museum of Modern Art is open Tuesday to Saturday, 09:30–13:00 and 14:00–17:00.
Is there hiking near the city?
Yes. Tétouan is surrounded by two mountains, Mount Dersa and Mount Ghorghiz, which offer splendid hiking opportunities.
With the medina, its museums and the mountains all within reach, you have everything you need to start planning your days in Tétouan.