Tétouan: Morocco’s Quiet Coastal Counterpoint to Marrakesh
Words and images by guest writer James Carter
For decades, Marrakesh has been Morocco’s glittering headline act, a city of red walls, roaring souks, rooftop lounges, and restless energy. It’s the place everyone visits, and often the only place they know. But travel north, and you’ll find Tétouan, a strikingly different Morocco… quieter, whiter, slower, and touched by the Mediterranean winds that never reach the desert capital.
Tétouan doesn’t shout for your attention. It invites you in softly.
Where the Mediterranean Meets Morocco
Unlike landlocked Marrakesh, Tétouan is only minutes from the sea. Martil’s gentle waves, Cabo Negro’s refined stretch of coastline, and the calm curve of M’diq offer a refreshing alternative to the desert heat. Here, seafood restaurants replace rooftop lounges, and sunset strolls along the promenade take the place of bustling night markets.
The Medina of Tétouan, one of Morocco’s most authentic and a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, feels entirely its own. It’s smaller and calmer than Marrakesh’s sprawling maze, its narrow lanes lined with workshops where artisans still hand-weave textiles or beat copper in the open air. There are no aggressive vendors or constant tourist traffic. Just an old city that has survived by quietly being itself.
Tétouan is Morocco’s Andalusian echo! Its whitewashed buildings, tiled facades, and sun-soaked plazas reflect centuries of cultural exchange across the Mediterranean. Spanish drifts through the air as casually as Moroccan Arabic. Even the architecture leans toward Cádiz more than Casablanca. Marrakesh may be the red city, but Tétouan is pure white.
A Different Taste of Morocco
While Marrakesh dazzles with high-end dining and trend-driven restaurants, Tétouan’s culinary scene is grounded in the coastal, the simple, and the local. Fresh fish, Mediterranean stews, Andalusian pastries, and traditional Rif mountain dishes offer a flavour profile you won’t find in the south. It’s Morocco through a Mediterranean lens.
Nature Without the Noise
From Tétouan, the Rif Mountains rise quickly and beautifully. Day hikes, forest trails, and the extraordinary Talassemtane National Park are within easy reach. And just an hour away sits Chefchaouen, the famed blue city, as photogenic as it is peaceful. A place where everything is different shades of blue. It is said that Jewish refugees in the 1930’s painted the city as a reminder of heaven!
Photos from Chefchaouen, the blue city.
The Luxury of Low-Key Travel
Where Marrakesh pushes you toward desert excursions, Tétouan beckons you to green mountains and cool breezes.
Perhaps Tétouan’s greatest strength is its restraint. It is a city that has not been redesigned for tourists, and that is its charm. Prices are lower, interactions are more genuine, and the pace invites you to exhale. If Marrakesh overwhelms, Tétouan restores.
Where to stay?
Soho Boutique Hotel Tétouan, Morocco, is a good place to stay at around £50 a night, with a Moroccan breakfast at just £2.50 and a fish dinner, including sides and dessert, at £22.
Two Very Different Moroccos
Marrakesh will always be Morocco’s showstopper. It’s a spectacle of colours, sounds, spices, and sand.
But Tétouan offers something else: authenticity without chaos, beauty without noise, culture without crowds. It is Morocco for those who prefer whispers over shouts.
If you’re searching for the country’s quieter, Mediterranean-washed soul, you’ll find it in Tétouan.
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