CAMP SITEHOTELSEAFOOD1920s these caves have been quarried for millstones, worked by prostitutes and used as a
venue for private parties by rich celebrities from Tangier. A much-photographed view of the
Atlantic from within resembles a map of Africa. Camel rides are available here, just before the
entrance to the caves on the right. A beach ride is a special treat.
Sleeping & Eating
Camping Achakkar €
( 0612 24 97 27; camping per person Dh20, plus per tent/car/campervan Dh20/20/45,
bungalows Dh500; hot shower Dh20) Inland from the grotto and opposite Le Mirage, this
shady site has clean facilities and hot water (electricity Dh30). It has a shop that stocks
essentials and a cafe with simple meals, though a new restaurant was being built at the time of
research.
Le Mirage €€€
( 0539 33 33 32; www.lemirage-tanger.com; d from Dh2400; ) This is one of the
finest hotels in the Tangier area, with a dramatic location perched on the cliff beside the grotto,
offering a view of miles of broad Atlantic beach. The bungalows are exquisite, as the price
suggests, and there’s a spa and golf course. Nonguests can get a taste of the opulence in the
immaculate restaurant (meals from Dh300), or just stop by for a drink beneath the pergola.
From the sunny terrace you can see the Roman ruins of Cotta, where fish oil was processed.
Restaurant Cap Spartel €€
(Cap Spartel Rd; salads Dh50-70, mains from Dh80) This average seafood restaurant next to
the lighthouse is popular on weekends.
Getting There & Away
Grands taxis from Tangier are the best way of getting to Cap Spartel. A one-way charter
should cost around Dh60, and slightly more than double for a round trip including waiting time.
Taxis leave from the rank in front of St Andrew’s Church in Tangier. Petits taxis are reluctant to
make the trip one way only – the price isn’t much different from a grand taxi.
Road to Ceuta
The scenic road from Tangier to Ceuta is worth taking: green patchwork fields, alluring
mountain roads, rolling hills, rocky headlands and good sandy beaches reveal a different side to
Morocco, now under siege by development. A complete grand taxi to Fnideq, the town before
the border, will cost Dh220.
The road begins at Cap Malabata , the headland opposite Tangier and some 8km from the
city. Here you’ll find the large M’nar Park ( 0539 34 38 29; www.mnarparktanger.com;
family apt from Dh1400; ) , a great place for children. It has everything from waterslides to
boating, and there’s a restaurant with superb views back towards Tangier.
Ksar es-Seghir , 25km further around the coast, is a small fishing port dominated by the
remains of a Portuguese fort. The beach is popular with locals in summer, and will become