Where We Be
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| This was our view of Tangier port from our room at the Hotel Continental. The ferry terminal is just to the left. |
| Tangier, Morocco |
Tangier is where the ferry leaves from Morocco
bound for Spain. This makes it an important
transit point for tourists like us who want to get
between the two countries. The ride across the
Strait of Gibraltar only takes about an hour,
although with boarding and unboarding it will
take closer to two. In our case, we caught the
10 am ferry and arrived in Tarifa, Spain around
noon. A complimentary ferry shuttle took us
from Tarifa to nearby Algeciras, and from there
it was a short walk to the bus and train stations.
The cost for a one-way ferry ticket was about
$40 per person. We booked and paid ahead of
time through the FRS ferry website. Note that
ferries leaving from Tangier itself (i.e., Tangier
Ville) are for foot traffic only. (If you're traveling
by car, there's a separate terminal about an
hour outside the city known as Tangier Med.)
We recommend staying at the Hotel Continental
in Tangier because it's only a 5-minute walk to
the Tangier Ville ferry terminal.
bound for Spain. This makes it an important
transit point for tourists like us who want to get
between the two countries. The ride across the
Strait of Gibraltar only takes about an hour,
although with boarding and unboarding it will
take closer to two. In our case, we caught the
10 am ferry and arrived in Tarifa, Spain around
noon. A complimentary ferry shuttle took us
from Tarifa to nearby Algeciras, and from there
it was a short walk to the bus and train stations.
The cost for a one-way ferry ticket was about
$40 per person. We booked and paid ahead of
time through the FRS ferry website. Note that
ferries leaving from Tangier itself (i.e., Tangier
Ville) are for foot traffic only. (If you're traveling
by car, there's a separate terminal about an
hour outside the city known as Tangier Med.)
We recommend staying at the Hotel Continental
in Tangier because it's only a 5-minute walk to
the Tangier Ville ferry terminal.
| The Hotel Continental is an older hotel but we loved its convenient location, pleasant terrace and dining area, and included breakfast, all for just $45 for a standard room |
| Next morning we walked to the ferry terminal (the oddly shaped white building) in the rain, so we were glad it was only five minutes away |
| Tangier is a port city of nearly 1 million people. We used it primarily as a ferry transit point, but there is a historic medina you can visit. |
| Did you know Morocco was the first country to recognize America's independence back in 1777? Thus the American Legation in Tangier was the first American public property located outside the U.S. It's also the first and only property located in a foreign country to be listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately we arrived too late to visit the one attraction in Tangier we'd really hoped to see. [Note: Not my photos] |
| This is the breakfast area at the hotel -- pretty swank! |
| The terrace overlooking the harbor isn't too shabby either |
| The FRS ferry is modern and comfortable. Here's what it looks like on the inside. |