Asilah
©
Asilah

Asilah

Whitewashed Atlantic town behind Portuguese ramparts, with medina murals and sea views from the walls.

Asilah feels more Andalucian than Moroccan — a whitewashed Atlantic town behind Portuguese ramparts, quiet and immaculately clean. The medina is small enough to explore in an hour, but the quality of the light and the calm of the narrow alleys will slow you down. Artists discovered the town decades ago, and murals painted during the annual arts festival still brighten the walls.

The ramparts above the sea are the highlight. Walk the circuit in the late afternoon and you will have views of the Atlantic, the fishing port below, and the white rooftops of the medina. In August, the Moussem Cultural International brings musicians, painters and performers to the town, and the atmosphere shifts from tranquil to festive.

Asilah makes a good base for a night or two on the road between Tangier and Rabat. The seafood is fresh and inexpensive, the pace is gentle, and the town has enough character to reward a slow visit.

Guide

Day Trips

The Monoliths of M'Soura, 25 km south-east of Asilah, form one of the world's few neolithic stone circles outside Britain — arranged in a perfect ellipse in an otherwise desolate landscape. You will need a local guide and a reliable vehicle to reach them.

The Roman ruins of Lixus, one of the Phoenicians' most successful settlements in Morocco, lie 5 km north of Larache. Less excavated and far less visited than Volubilis, Lixus has an atmospheric, slightly wild feel. A grand taxi from Asilah or Larache will get you there for a reasonable fare.

Guide

Eating Out

Asilah's restaurant scene revolves around fresh seafood. Avenue Hassan II, running through the centre of town, is lined with restaurants where the catch comes in from the port the same morning. Paella is a local specialty — a legacy of the town's Spanish and Portuguese connections. Prices are reasonable even by Moroccan standards.

Restaurant La Place, near the Bab Kasbah gate, has a terrace overlooking the fishing port and serves a good range of seafood at fair prices.

Guide

Getting There

Asilah has a train station on the Tangier–Rabat line. Trains to Tangier take about 45 minutes, with roughly four departures a day.

Buses are more frequent — about ten a day to Tangier, with around five continuing south to Larache. Both journeys take about an hour. Grand taxis in both directions leave when full from the stands near the station.

Guide

Things to Do in Asilah

Asilah rewards slow exploration. The medina is small — you can walk its perimeter in twenty minutes — but the quality of the architecture and the calm of the streets justify a much longer stay. The ramparts above the sea are the centrepiece: walk them in the late afternoon for views of the Atlantic and the white rooftops below.

The annual Moussem Cultural International in August transforms the town; the murals painted during the festival's early decades are still visible on whitewashed walls throughout the medina.