Landscape and geography wise, I loved Tangier. It’s a beautiful city– a beautiful blend of green, ocean, hill, and desert, and is small enough for anyone to be fulfilled in only two and a half days. It had its moments where I I laughed at myself for being so worried to visit for no reason, and others where I questioned why the fuck I came here when I could have just been chilling on a beach somewhere buzzed unbothered by extraness. DISCLAIMER: I am in no way, shape or form discouraging anyone from visiting Tangier or Morocco, but I’m not a fake bitch either so I’ll tell you guys a little bit of (Moroccan) tea that will hopefully help anyone reading this have a stress-free stay while knowing what to expect.

Tangier During Ramadan

Ramadan wasn’t as intense as everyone made it out to be. People (tourists) were blatantly eating and smoking on the streets, and restaurants were still open. I was expecting the streets to be nearly empty during the mornings and afternoons, but there were still people everywhere and nothing seemed to be closed. I did not purchase or consume any alcohol during this trip, however there were a few places that had alcohol available for purchase if shown a foreign passport. There were also a few nightclubs on the beach in the center, but this wasn’t so much a “party” trip for me, so I avoided all of that for the weekend.

Where I Stayed

I stayed at the Bayt Alice hostel, right in the center of the Medina, for only 6 euros (I booked in February). Note, everything in Morocco, or Tangier I should say, is super cheap, from the hostels to the taxis. Y’all know I love hostels with rooftops, and while the hostel wasn’t as lively as I would have liked (it had more of a solo, slightly pretentious, backpacker vibe), the rooftop terrace made the atmosphere more social during both the free (and plentiful) morning breakfasts and the late evenings. The hostel staff was very helpful and friendly.

What I Did

Ride a Camel on the Beach

I’m sorry, but I literally came for the camels. Camels have been my favorite animal ever since someone told me that I looked like one in the 7th grade. Like my other favorite animal, alpacas, I love camels because they are always smiling. There were camels rides on both the main beach and the other beaches outside of Tangier I went to. Rides can be 10 euros or less if you haggle.

Wander Around the Medina

I knew nothing about Tangier before booking; the only thing I knew was its beach (that is actually unsuitable for swimming because of pollution) and that it was only 30 euros roundtrip from Madrid with Ryanair. When I think of Morocco, I ignorantly assumed that every city you will get lost in ginormous, regal markets with unlimited choices of jewelry, printed harem pants, and exotic spices. To my surprise, the Medina of Tangier is quite small, which made it less intimidating for me to browse for all of the cool, but unnecessary items I was tempted to buy. Still, haggling is a thing here, something I have yet learned to master, so I ended up buying a cute, 4 euro petite journal that should have been 1, but it’s okay.

Visit the Caves of Hercules

14 kilometers from Tangier in Cape Spartel, the Hercules caves are famous for magically taking the exact shape of continental Africa, in addition to being the sleeping place of ancient Roman God Hercules. Legend also says that if you walk through the caves in their entirety, you can get from Morocco to Spain, a route traveled by the monkeys of Gibraltar. 

What I Ate

Restaurant AHLEN Medina

I did no research whatsoever on where or what to eat while in Tangier, but everyone I met told me Restaurant AHLEN in the Medina is the place for cheap and authentic Moroccan food. I’ve never had Moroccan food, so both times I went I purchased the beef tagine, a pot-roast type dish with vegetables and potatoes, and chicken couscous, a dish consisting of meat, vegetables, and barley. Both were good, but I definitely preferred the couscous! And of course, as a soup lover, I made sure to try the harira, a traditional Moroccan soup.

Safety Tips

I don’t want my blog to serve as a general travel guide because God knows I just be showing up places and getting lost, but I do however want to use this space to share my travel experiences with other young, women of color. I’m not going to lie, my biggest concern with visiting Morocco, especially by myself, was safety. Sexual harassment happens everywhere because men are unfortunately everywhere, but you’re being obtuse if you don’t acknowledge that extreme sexual harassment that can actually result in putting your life in danger is more prone in extremely patriarchal and impoverished communities. I like to keep an open-mind when I travel to unfamiliar locations, but if some problematic shit happens I’m not going to bullshit my true experiences, even if people think I’m overreacting. So, as a solo female traveler, here are some of my tips to hopefully have a less annoying time than I did.

Avoid Local “Tour Guides”, Hire a Taxi

I wholeheartedly suggest finding a group of four or more people to split the cost of having a taxi driver drive you around the city. That’s what I did with a group of people in the hostel, and we ended up visiting a few prime locations 40 minutes outside of Tangier for only 10 euros per person. Upon arrival you will be bombarded with many of the local men telling you that they will show you around, give you directions, or invite you to eat. I’m not one to knock a hustle because of course there are genuine people just trying to make money and show you the best of their city– and if I weren’t alone I actually would have paid one to show me around and take all of my Instagram photos– but expect that they expect money, even if they don’t tell you. If you refuse, some will get hella hostile. Regardless, I don’t really suggest any woman to follow some random dude around alone, but of course my ass did it anyway. But, if you arrange for a taxi to drive you around the city (make sure you’re with a group first!!!), the driver will wait for you at each stop, giving you time to look around. Much cheaper than hiring a private tour guide from a tour agency on the internet! Also, make sure the taxis are arranged via your hotel or hostel because there are some sketchy ones out there waiting to finesse you. 

Tangier as a Woman: Being Called Beautiful and Being Followed by Angry Men

If you call me pretty in a non-creepy way I will immediately love you, so of course all of the non-creepy compliments made me really respect the men at first– it’s better being called beautiful than some dude tell you he’s going to eat your ass, and then call you a stuck-up bitch when you ignore him. For the most part, a lot of the gender-based comments were nothing out of the ordinary, which I appreciate. I feel like Tangier is a pretty chill port city, so no one really gives a fuck about being on 10 all of the damn time. This still did not stop a 55-year old Moroccan man from literally stalking me the minute I stepped foot out of my taxi. My hostel was located in the Medina, so the streets are pretty hard to navigate the first hour, and since I didn’t have data I knew it was going to be an annoying journey to get to my hostel. While searching, I passed by this dude who told me to go eat at his restaurant. I ignored him, barely even made eye contact, so I thought I was doing a pretty good job at avoiding a problematic situation. Ten minutes later, as I continued to find myself on a confused journey in search of my hostel, the same guy asks if I’m lost and where I needed to go. I thought to myself, don’t tell him your location, but at the moment, I just wanted to charge my phone and check-in. Plus, it was 2 o’clock in the afternoon, what’s the worst that could happen? He asks for a tip and I tell him that I only have my debit card and he gets angry? I was willing to take the risk.

He did lead me to the hostel, and though he was telling me about places that I need to see (and I know he was trying to make some money), I didn’t think anything of it and thanked him for showing me my hostel. That was, until he literally walks inside of the hostel with me and tells me that he will wait for me so he can give me a tour. I told the receptionist that I have no idea who this guy is and that I’m not going with him and he was confused because he said he was acting as if I’m his girlfriend (?), and for some reason, instead of the receptionist instantly telling him to leave, he allows the guy to still wait for me. Tell me why, as I was checking in, the receptionist was like “Shhhhh, he’ll here you and know you aren’t asleep” as if he didn’t have the authority to kick him out???? I was literally hiding in my dorm for a good two hours, making sure that the coast was clear enough for me to leave.

I had met this guy checking in at the same time as me, and I asked if it would be okay if I tagged along with whatever he was doing because honestly, after being in Tangier for only twenty minutes, I was overwhelmed. He agreed, and not even after five minutes of being out of the hostel, the same man spots us and instantly starts arguing with the guy from my hostel, telling him how he already agreed to be my tour guide, how he’s the only one who can explain Tangier, and that the reason I’m even here is because he showed me where my hostel was. We both politely told him multiple times to leave us alone, but he was getting really aggressive and rude. I was like what??? is???? going????? on????? here????? OMFG. They’re in this intense ass argument and then out of nowhere, his friend comes up and tells us that WE need to go to the ATM to get money out because they showed us around and that we need to pay for our tour. Like what tour, fam???? They’re following us for literally fifteen minutes and at this point I’m over it because all I wanted to see were some camels.

After a while, they finally leave and I didn’t see either of them, but that really made me not want to engage with the men the entire trip. Like I said, I didn’t think it was a super dangerous situation, just an annoying one to be put into. I hate when people try to talk to me any type of way and pressure me into doing something I don’t want to do, and I really feel if I didn’t have that as my welcoming to Morocco I would have been more open to speaking to more of the locals.

But in terms of what to wear, it may look like I walked around sleeveless the entire time, but I actually wore a cover-up a majority of the time, since I only took it off to take pictures. My experience may differ because I traveled in a group of mostly guys, and I believe that contributed to the lack of extremely inappropriate comments. I did see girls wearing less than me, but just out of respect I would suggest dressing modestly to avoid offending the overall religious culture and avoiding unwanted attention. Some people online suggested wearing a fake wedding ring or even a hijab, but in Tangier, at least for me, it wasn’t that deep. But like anywhere, if a man wants to shout obscenities at you, he’s going to do so whether you’re wearing a shapeless, oversized sweater or a miniskirt and stilettos.

Tangier as an African-American: Being “Welcomed Home” and Being Called the N Word Who Needs to Leave Morocco

I found it funny when many of the locals would point to my hair, shout “Jamaica”, and give me a thumbs up because that’s practically my experience anywhere I go whenever I have braids. I love when people offer me free marijuana because they assume I smoke, and I thought it was a huge compliment for them to tell me that I’m “finally home”, as I take my first steps onto Mother Africa. Although I do not look Moroccan whatsoever, and in Tangier I really did not see many people my color enough to where I wouldn’t stand out, I assumed I would be immune to racism, despite many of the horror stories read on the internet. It wasn’t until my third and last day there, when I finally felt confident to walk around alone, when I was approached by an older guy trying to sell me something. He followed me for about a minute, asking me if I wanted to buy whatever he was selling, and after ignoring him the whole time, I finally said “NO” firmly, without even glancing in his direction. Then, all of a sudden, the guy comes directly in front of me, says “GO, GO. GET OUT OF MY COUNTRY”, calls me a whore for wearing my yellow dress and disgracing Ramadan, and then proceeds me to call me a “fucking nigger” multiple times. I walk away from him, telling him to go fuck himself, but he continued to follow me for several more seconds, shouting more profanities at me until I lost him.

I was both desensitized yet appalled until I left the proximity and made my way back to the main road of the Medina. As a black person, it was only a certain amount of time until I would be called the N word at some point of my travels by racist idiots who have no real exposure to the outside world, but I did not expect my first time to happen in AFRICA. All of the ‘rasta’ comments I can deal with because everyone always adores my hair and it is not said out of malice, but it just enhanced the slight nationalistic comments I heard my previous days in Tangier, such as “Lady Gaga? You look like Lady Ca Ca” and “This is Africa. Learn to speak Arabic.”

After I escaped the situation, I was so upset, another Moroccan guy comes up to me and asks me what’s wrong, and I told him what happened, and he bought me a coke and told me that I am always welcome in his country, and that the guy is an idiot. I felt so much better and remembered that even though this was such a hurtful experience to go through, as someone who just wants to learn about other cultures and connect with the locals any way that I can, that I cannot categorize an entire country or its people into bad or good. I am forcing myself to remember that this is an isolated incident that can happen anywhere, including my own damn country, and that there are good and bad people everywhere. And as mentioned in my recent experience with racism in Valencia, I just have to remember that the type of people who insult me are ugly and lead a miserable existence on this planet if they feel the need to purposely make someone unhappy.

Overall

Tangier is not a place I am dying to go back to due to my personal experience, but I would reccomend the city for someone (who is used to only traveling in Europe) who wants to chill out and experience Moroccan culture without being too overwhelmed. There are a few other cities in the country I plan on visiting while I am still in Spain, but for now I will gladly wait. I’m not going to write an entire country off because of the actions of several a few shitty people, but I really don’t like to feel on edge and anxious while traveling. While I did not necessarily fear for my life (even after one of the guys in my hostel alerted us he got robbed and vomited on by his taxi driver on his way to Chefchaouen), I’ve decided that my anxiety will only let me feel comfortable with a male companion or already paid for guided tours.