Private Tangier tours and day trips 

The history of Tangier is a captivating saga of foreign incursions, attributed to its strategic position at the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. Initially established as a trading outpost by the ancient Greeks and Phoenicians, it took its name from the goddess Tinge, who, according to legend, separated Europe from Africa to create the Strait of Gibraltar. Under Roman governance, Tangier served as the capital of the Mauretania Tingitana province. This was followed by a Vandal invasion from Spain in AD 429, succeeded by the Byzantines. The arrival of the Arabs in 705 subdued the Berber tribes, and Tangier oscillated between various Arab dynasties until it fell under the Almohad dynasty’s reign in 1149. In 1471, the Portuguese captured the city, only to hand it over to the British two centuries later. The English diarist Samuel Pepys briefly resided here, describing it as 'the excrescence of the earth.' Morocco ultimately reclaimed Tangier in 1679 under Sultan Moulay Ismail, who devastated much of the city. The Sultan remained in power until the mid-19th century, when North Africa regained European interest.

The modern history of Tangier began in a different light. While the rest of Morocco was partitioned between Spain and France, Tangier’s strategic importance led to its designation as an ‘International Zone,’ akin to West Berlin during the Cold War. France, Spain, Britain, Portugal, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Italy, and the USA each held a stake in Tangier, overseen nominally by the current Sultan. This arrangement persisted from 1912 until 1956, when the city was finally rejoined with the rest of Morocco. During this era, an influx of expatriates swelled the population, creating a unique culture that attracted a diverse array of individuals—socialites, artists, currency speculators, drug addicts, spies, sexual outlaws, exiles, and eccentrics—thereby earning the city a rather disreputable image.

As the Interzone period drew to a close, Tangier experienced a prolonged decline, becoming a bleak and rundown port plagued by significant crime rates.

However, in 1999, a transformative wave swept through Tangier, sparking numerous major developments, most notably the establishment of the new port, Tanger Med, and the construction of a high-speed TGV train line to Casablanca. This progress included a substantial increase in tourism, rejuvenating the city.