"The first and... the worst city in Morocco" Top 5 Page for this destination Tetouan by matcrazy1

Tetouan Travel Guide: 108 reviews and 306 photos

Tétouan was the first city I visited in Morocco, driving there from Ceuta, and it was probably hmm... the worst place I had seen in Morocoo.

My first impressions from Morocco were very bad to be honest. I thought in Tetouan: how could I choose Morocco, what a big mistake haha.
Fortunately moving south day after day Morocco seemed better and finally I found Morocco a very interesting, exciting destination. And I found my Moroccan trip the most interesting holiday I have ever had.

First impressions

HASSAN II SQUARE

My first impressions from Tetouan (in early morning time):
1. The main square Place Hassan II was stinking, dirty, full of garbages and wastes (it was early morning and a few Arab men were cleaning the place),
2. Dirty, stinking locally, ugly, neglected medina (old arab city) with all stores closed that time,
3. Strange, dark-skin men in jellabias looked at me with a great interest like at invider from space but without any smile,
4. I couldn't find for a long time any clean place to drink cofee and eat something, I tried to ask natives but nobody could speak English,
5. The town looked grey and sad after a short rain.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Sorry, I didn't see any that time, maybe quite good cofee with local "croissant
Cons:Dirty, stinking, ugly old town
In a nutshell:Go there to check how it changed for better since 1998!

Last visit to Tetouan: Sep 1998
Intro Updated Sep 25, 2006
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Reviews (15)

"Sewage system" in medina Warnings and Dangers (1)

There is no normal sewage system in the most of medina. All liquid rubbish flows in the middle of some streets. I have... more travel advice

Buses, taxis, on foot... Transportation (1)

Tétouan or Tetuán is located in northern Morocco, near the Mediterranean Sea, 40km (25mi) south of Ceuta (Spain) and... more travel advice

MEDINA, THE EARLY MORNING IN TETOUAN - Tetouan

Stinking medina Tourist Traps (2)

The medina was dirty, ugly, neglected and even stinking in some places. And all stores were closed when I visited... more travel advice

Stinking square Tourist Traps (2)

Hassan II Square was full of garbages and stinking when I visited Tetouan in the early morning. Two arab men were... more travel advice

Comments (29)

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LPavka Jan 21, 2013 at 2:48 AM

So sorry you didn't appreciate all Tetouan has to offer. A agree with Ekaterinburg below that entering via Tangiers is probably a better strategy.

We absolutely loved Tetouan. It's true, it is a bit nitty-gritty, but charming in its own way.

A good guide is key: My sister and I visited Tetouan in May 2012. We are mature women (54 and 56 y.o.) and were traveling with my sister's teenage daughter. I'm writing to recommend our outstanding guide, Mr. Mhamed El Khattabi, an official certified guide who speaks excellent English. We told him we were interested in culture, history and people -- no shopping -- and he respected that perfectly. As we passed through the busy market areas, he was very protective of my niece in a kindly fatherly way. He also recommended the excellent Riad Daria, which was delightfully charming and a good value for money. We were extremely happy with the services of Mhamed and want to recommend him most warmly as a kind, knowledgeable, and very honest individual.

Here is Mhamed's cell No.: 0672549398.
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Ekaterinburg Mar 20, 2007 at 10:26 AM

I think you definitely suffered from culture shock. Entering via Tangiers is a little easier :)
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barryg23 Mar 13, 2007 at 12:53 PM

Very honest comments, Matt. I'm glad Tetouan is not on our Morocco itinerary.
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sayedaburas Feb 20, 2007 at 6:19 AM

Each has its advantages and disadvantages. However I appriciate such honesty (~_~)
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yumyum Feb 16, 2007 at 11:41 PM

Morocco without donkeys is unthinkable! I'm glad that you found some food after all :))
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evaanna Feb 3, 2007 at 12:09 PM

I'm sorry you had such a bad introduction to Morocco. The place has apparently improved since you were there. At least the architecture looks interesting. Interesting and honest page.
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kyoub Feb 3, 2007 at 4:42 AM

UHHH I think I would take a pass on Tetouan. Thanks for sharing the great tips and photos. I especially liked the donkeys also.
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tiabunna Jan 23, 2007 at 8:58 PM

An interesting "warts and all" perspective of Tetouan, Matt. I sometimes feel we (VTers) are too uncritical of many places we visit.
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scottishvisitor Dec 6, 2006 at 9:26 AM

A place to take or leave but you still managed to create an impression of Tetouan
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l_joo Nov 18, 2006 at 12:44 AM

Good page, I like especially VT-pages that are full of tips about garbage, ugly views, etc.