The Pleasure of Getting Lost in the Ancient Souks of Tangier

Day 33, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean

Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024; Tangier, Morocco.

Finally — a day for sketching. I spent almost an hour seated on the sidewalk at a small Moroccan café, sipping mint tea in the shade of an umbrella (although it was cloudy). No rain in sight, at least initially.

After spending a couple of hours wandering the narrow alleys and passageways of Tangier’s medina, or old city, I nearly skipped the opportunity to sketch. I had returned to the Grand Socco – the crowded and noisy square near the meeting point for our complimentary shuttle back to the port. As I walked up the hill, the bus pulled away, apparently full. Another would come soon, but probably sit for 30 minutes before leaving on its return trip.

Instead of waiting on the bus, I circled the Grand Socco and noticed that the café provided a good perspective on the Sidi Bou Abid Mosque with its stunning minaret. I settled down and quickly the proprietor appeared to make sure I wasn’t freeloading on the space. I was glad to order a mint tea, one of my favorites. When I picked up the glass, I wasn’t expecting the tea to be hot — so hot that I had to immediately put it down and wait a few minutes to cool enough to drink. It was delicious and only cost one euro. (Fortunately, euros are readily accepted in lieu of Moroccan dirhams, as we are only nine miles from Europe.)

And just like clockwork, as I finished drawing, I felt a raindrop. I quickly packed up, headed for the bus and was delighted that it left just after I boarded. Painting my sketch had to wait for back on the ship.

We had a long day in Tangier. It seems so long ago that we visited Casablanca, the other Moroccan port on this Mediterranean cruise. Last night we had a short sail from Gibraltar across the strait. Tomorrow we will just sail to Cadiz, Spain, again not far away.

I had a lazy morning and went into town after 10 a.m. I have been here twice before. On my first trip I took the basic excursion, exploring the city from a bus, and visiting Cape Spartel, the northwest Africa promontory where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. We also toured the Cave of Hercules, where mythology holds that the Greek god slept, and back in Tangier, we walked through the souk, or market. Our guide rushed us past all the interesting booths (I paused for a quick photograph of a thread vendor) to his cousin’s mediocre souvenir shop.

Last year I stayed on the ship recovering from my fractured patella. I had planned to join my sisters for a Moroccan Tea and Bread Experience, and I almost rebooked it for this cruise. But I recalled that rushed trip through the souk 13 years ago and decided to explore it at a leisurely pace this time. I wanted to get lost in its many footpaths and passageways, discovering delightful scenes around every corner.

I saw some people from the ship who worried they wouldn’t find their way out, and locals were eager to escort them for a small price. But in addition to having a good sense of direction, I had my smartphone with several map apps.

Some passages were lined with shops and full of vendors. Others were mostly deserted and seemed to lead to apartments or homes or just dead end. Sometimes the path was steep or led to stairs going up or down. I worried a bit as I climbed a long staircase – without handrails – that I might be challenged going down. But when I reached the overlook of the harbor at the top, I came across a tour group and followed them down another passageway without steep stairs.

Vendors – always men wearing woven caftans – followed the tourists eager to sell scarves, bracelets, magnets and all kinds of souvenirs. One seemed to latch on to me, wanting to guide me through the souk. I politely refused and moved on. Then around a corner or two he would appear again. I think he was using his knowledge of the souk’s tangle of walkways to pop up every so often. He was persistent, and by the time I finally left after an hour or so I felt we almost were friends.

I was shopping only with my eyes and camera, but I found vendors respected a polite, “no, thanks.” I never felt threatened or unsafe, and all the vendors were glad to give me permission to take pictures of them and their small shops. Some of the merchandise was souvenirs, but most was targeted to locals – fruits and vegetables, shoes and clothing and even hardware items.

I’ll be back to Tangier in April. I’ve booked a tour out of the city, but I’ll be tempted to return to the souk. It’s a clean, safe and wonderful place to explore and perhaps get lost.