Tangier, Morocco: Day Tripping in Southern Spain

Tarifa, Spain by sfcphotography

My only reference points before going to Tangier, Morocco were one of my favorite movies, Casablanca and the 1973 song Midnight At The Oasis from my childhood.

Cue Maria Muldaur singing Midnight At The Oasis and you have my first impression as our high speed ferry pulled into port. We went with a tour group out of Tarifa and our ferry got us from Spain across to Africa in 45 minutes. The body of water you cross is where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean. Literally.

There are longer ferry routes from this part of Spain to Northern Africa, but taking the bus south less than an hour from Marbella to hop onto this high speed catamaran is worth it. It was quite enjoyable watching the coast of Spain fade back and as North Africa approached.

Tangier Morocco by sfcphotography

As we arrived, the day exploring Tangier was off to a great start by an unscheduled "welcome" from a departing fishing boat. That quick moment of spontaneous warmth from a stranger gave me such a positive feeling that I took about hundred photos or more during our visit. Normally my biggest problem is worrying about making people upset if I attempt to take their photo, and I am notorious for being awkward about asking first, which means I typically take more scenic or inanimate object shots. But not this time!

Spontaneous welcome from Tangier by sfcphotography

Next: Camels!