Asilah
Asilah lies on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, just south of Tangier.  It is a slow, friendly place with good food, excellent beaches, and a clean medina.


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The charm of Asilah is its ancient walled town on some cliffs above the Atlantic Ocean. The views from the ramparts over the sea are great, with waves crashing angrily on the rocks below you.

Every year artists and performers descend on Asilah from all over the world, for the International Festival of Asilah.  They leave behind brightly painted murals on the whitewashed wall in the town. Most of the town is strictly pedestrian, and nice and quiet.

The Medina is small, and the shopkeepers friendly. The prices of goods aren’t too outrageous, and it was fun exploring. We met a number of very interesting characters there, and had a fun week with only a few minor hassles.

We recommend a visit here to recouperate if you've been to any of the big cities in Morocco.  It also makes a good base from which to explore Tangier.  There is a train that takes about 45 minutes to arrive in Tangier.  The only problem is that it doesn't run often and if you want to return the same day you only have a few hours to visit.


The Promenade
Asilah sports a Mediterranean style promenade just outside the medina.



Art Festival
Every August the whitewashed walls of the medina are tranformed by artists for the International Festival of Asilah.


The Medina
The ramparts were built by the Portuguese in the 15th century.  Inside, the attractive medina is painted white and blue, Andalusian style.


The Seawall and Cemetery
The Asilah medina comes right up to the sea. The seawall provides a beautiful, wide panorama.


Good Restaurant by the Sea
You won't go hungry in Asilah, as there are a good selection of restaurants specializing in tasty seafood.


Paradise Beach!
This beautiful stretch of sand and surf is truly a paradise, especially if you have it to yourself in the off season.  In summer it's popular with locals and tourists.


The North African Coast of the Atlantic Ocean sports many beautiful beaches, though some of the best have difficult access.
Asilah Tips
Asilah is a nice, friendly relaxing town by the sea.  There are some great beaches nearby.  It's a good base from which to explore Tangier.

Things to Do: Explore the small, attractive medina.  Visit beautiful Paradise Beach.  Take a day trip to Tangier.  Hangout by the seawall or in a cafe.  Just be mellow!

Sights: The blue andalusian-style medina is nice to walk through to the seawall where there are excellent views.  Up and down the coast are beautiful beaches worth exploring.  Tangier is just 45 minutes away by train.

Shopping: There are some really nice, small shops in town.  The local specialty is red coral and it is made into beautiful jewelry. 

Food: There are a number of good reasonably priced restaurants in town, specializing in seafood.  Take your pick!

Accommodation: Hotels are quite reasonable in town.  We stayed at the Al Kaima in the north end of town and were quite satisfied.  They served a very good breakfast!

Getting Around: The town is so small you can walk from one end to another.  If you want to go to Paradise Beach you can hire a taxi, but it might not go all the way.  We took a donkey cart, which let us off at the top of the cliff.

That all folks!  Hope you enjoyed the journey.
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