and watch over the world.
Information
Pl Mohammed V is crowded with banks, including BMCE and Banque Populaire, both of which
will change cash and travellers cheques and have ATMs.
Cyber Haytam (197 Ave Hassan II; per hr Dh6; 9am-midnight) Internet access.
Pharmacie l’Océan (Pl Zellaka)
Pharmacie Loukili (Ave Mohammed V).
Getting There & Away
Bus Assilah is 46km south of Tangier and has good bus connections to most towns. The tiny
bus station is on the corner of Ave Mohamed VI and the Tangier–Rabat Rd. Since the highway
was built, CTM doesn’t stop in Assilah anymore. Several private bus companies offer various
services to destinations including Casablanca (Dh80, 4½ hours, eight daily), Fez (Dh60, 4½
hours, four daily), Marrakesh (Dh120, nine hours, three daily), Rabat (Dh60, 3½ hours, eight
daily) and Tangier (Dh15, one hour).
It’s a good idea to book long-distance buses in advance as they tend to fill up in Tangier.
Buses to Tangier and Casablanca leave roughly every half-hour, from 6.30am to 8pm. Just wait
until a bus pulls in and hope there’s a seat available.
Car There is guarded parking (Dh10 per 24 hours) outside Bab al-Baha (Sea Gate), near the
port.
Taxi Grands taxis to Tangier (Dh20) and Larache (Dh15) depart when full from Rue 2 Mars, off
Ave Mohammed VI, across from the mosque. Tangier’s airport is only 26km north of here, so
taking a taxi from Assilah (Dh250) may save you spending a lot of time and energy in Tangier.
The petit-taxi stand is at Pl Mohammed V.
Train The train station is 2km north of Assilah, but a bus (Dh6) generally meets trains and
drops passengers at Pl Mohammed V and Bab Homar. Destinations include Casablanca
(Dh109, four hours), Fez (Dh87, four hours, five daily), Meknés (Dh70, three hours, five daily),
Rabat (Dh83, three hours, nine daily) and Tangier (Dh16, 45 minutes, 10 daily). One overnight
train goes direct to Marrakesh (Dh186, 9½ hours), but this train originates (and fills up) in
Tangier, so you may want to buy your ticket in advance.
MONOLITHS OF M’SOURA
The mysterious Monoliths of M’Soura make an interesting half-day trip from Assilah. This prehistoric site consists of a large
stone circle (actually an ellipse) of about 175 stones, thought to have originally surrounded a burial mound. Although many of
the stones have fallen or been broken, the circle is still impressive, its strange presence heightened by the desolation of its
location. The tallest stone reaches about 5.5m in height and is known as El-Uted (The Pointer).
The stone circle is about 25km (by road) southeast of Assilah. To get there you’ll need a sturdy vehicle. Head for the village
of Souq Tnine de Sidi el-Yamani, off highway R417, which branches east off the main Tangier to Rabat road. Veer left in the
village and follow a poorly maintained, unsealed track 6km north to the site. It can be difficult to find so you may want to ask for
directions or hire a guide in the village.