Asilah, Morocco: the white town near Tangier
A small walled town an hour down the coast, known for its ramparts, its murals and its slow afternoons.
Asilah sits on the Atlantic south of Tangier, enclosed by sea walls built by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century. Inside them the medina is white with blue edges, and since the late 1970s an annual arts festival has covered many of its walls in murals that are repainted year after year.
It is a town for walking the ramparts, looking at the ocean, browsing a gallery and sitting down to lunch, and it pairs naturally with a day that starts in Tangier.
What to see in Asilah
- The ramparts
- Portuguese sea walls with walks above the beach and the ocean.
- The medina
- Whitewashed lanes, painted doors and the murals of the arts festival.
- The beach
- A long Atlantic beach just outside the walls.
Planning a visit to Asilah
- Getting there
- About 45 kilometres south of Tangier along the coast, around 45 minutes by car. We drive you there and back in a private vehicle.
- Time needed
- Half a day is enough for the medina, the ramparts and lunch; the full excursion lasts 5 to 6 hours from Tangier.
- When to come
- Any season; the summer arts festival brings crowds and new murals, the rest of the year the town is very quiet.
Questions about Asilah
Is Asilah worth a day trip from Tangier?
If you want the coast at a slower pace, yes. It is close enough to do in half a day and different enough from Tangier to feel like a change of scene.
Can I combine Asilah with Chefchaouen?
Not comfortably in one day: they are in opposite directions. Two separate days work well, or a custom multi-day itinerary.
A day in Asilah, your way.
Share your dates, your interests and the pace you like. We reply within a day with a proposal built around you.