The closest major African city to Europe, Tangier was once known as the Pearl of the Mediterranean. Sadly, its reputation today is lackluster, to say the least. It has more than its share of pestering touts and crowded, rundown streets. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the city on our last trip. It's not nearly as interesting as Fez or Marrakesh, but it still has the anything-goes aura that, over the years, has attracted such writers as Paul and Jane Bowles, William Burroughs, Allen Ginsburg and Tennessee Williams, and artists Delacroix and Matisse.
Once you escape the busy port area, it's easier to appreciate Tangier's nice setting: hills flanking a broad bay with a long stretch of beach. Neither the new or old section of the city has an abundance of standout sights or monuments, but no doubt something will spark your interest while walking around them. The Museum of Moroccan Arts and Antiquities in the casbah section of the medina is your reward for climbing the hill.
Technically, it's possible to see Tangier as a day trip from Spain, but keep in mind that it's not representative of all of Morocco. The one- and two-day package tours of the city offered by a number of companies in Spain are worthwhile for people who have little or no experience traveling in developing countries—it's easy to get lost in the maze of streets on your own. (The crowded streets in the old part of the city can get particularly claustrophobic if you've lost your way.) Day trips from Tangier can be made to the towns of Chefchaouen, Tetouan or Asilah. 150 mi/240 km north of Rabat.