Tangier sits where Africa nearly touches Europe, on the Strait of Gibraltar, and on a clear day you can see Spain across the water. About fourteen kilometres separate the continents here, and for thousands of years this has been a crossroads and a place where the Atlantic and the Mediterranean meet. Phoenicians, Romans, Portuguese, English and Spanish all held it, and from 1923 until 1956 it was an international zone run by several powers, which gave it a reputation for spies, smugglers and writers.
That reputation drew Paul Bowles, who lived in the city for most of his adult life, and Tennessee Williams, William Burroughs and a cast of artists who came for the cheap rent and the light. Cafe Hafa, a terraced tea house on the cliff, serves mint tea to people watching ships cross the strait, and the old kasbah on the hill has views and a small museum. The medina below is a tangle of white lanes, steep and busy, and more manageable than Fez.
West of the city the Cap Spartel headland marks the Atlantic corner, with a lighthouse and a road through eucalyptus woods, and the Caves of Hercules, a sea cave with an opening shaped like a map of Africa, are nearby. The coastal road is a pleasant half-day ride, with beaches, cork oak and views. The Mediterranean side, toward Ceuta and Tetouan, has newer roads and big resorts, and the huge Tanger Med port to the east is among the busiest in Africa.
Tangier is the arrival point for the ferry from Tarifa and Algeciras, so many riders begin or end a Moroccan trip here. Fuel is easy, and the city is busy, with aggressive but good-humoured drivers, so keep your eyes open. Weather is mild, with wind and sea mist, and winters can be wet. Grilled sardines and fresh fish at a harbour restaurant are the thing to eat, and the atmosphere in the evening, with the lights across the strait, is something special.