Travel: Stylish city of Tangier is the art and soul of North Africa

For a cultural getaway to Morocco, the Fairmont Tazi Palace in Tangier is the perfect luxurious base. Relax in five-star luxury and explore everything this enchanting, historic country has to offer.

From the moment you set foot in Tangier, you’ll feel like you’re on a film set. And that’s because you are – Paul Greengrass’s The Bourne Ultimatum, Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive, and the Humphrey Bogart noir Sirocco were all filmed here.

Only a four-hour flight away, it’s easy to get to this exotic destination. My flight from Gatwick is an evening one, and I arrive at Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport at 10.45pm (there’s no time difference), a little tired and slightly apprehensive as I’m travelling solo.

However, I need not have worried as the Fairmont Tazi Palace have sent a friendly driver to collect me and whisk me to their door. It’s a 20-minute drive to the hotel, which is secluded high in the hills above the city. On arrival, I am served a refreshingly cool strawberry lemonade by super-friendly staff while my case is taken to my room. If you’re a fan of Fairmont, St Andrews, you’ll be familiar with the high standards, and you’ll love this contemporary and vibrant hotel, with bars where you can dance to the wee small hours if you wish.

My suite is spacious and luxurious, and the coffee table is festooned with dainty Moroccan pastries, a bowl of exotic fruits, a bottle of wine and a welcome note. I can’t resist tasting the delicious sweet pastries even though it’s late and I’ll be guaranteed a sugar rush and sleeplessness.

There’s a balcony with an awe-inspiring view of the white city of Tangier. I see a scattering of fairytale twinkling lights and by the light of the moon, I can make out the tropical gardens of the hotel. I’m excited to see that next to the elegant bathtub is a large arched Moroccan window, so I can choose between bathing at sunrise or by moonlight. Just dreamy!

A former palace facing the Strait of Gibraltar and built in the 1920s, the hotel has been restored to its original opulence. Every morning, after a comfortable night’s sleep in my super kingsize bed, I enjoy a swim in the azure pool fringed by cabanas, where you can cool off when the sun is high. Breakfasts are served in Crudo, where you can dine on the terrace overlooking the pool. The buffet selection is spectacular, with fruits, cheeses, Moroccan pastries, pancakes, homemade granola, eggs any way, and breads, all locally sourced. At lunch and dinner the emphasis is on local fish and vegetables, in Mediterranean-style dishes.

© JOE CHUA AGDEPPA

For light lunchtime dining, from midday, Social Kitchen features Asian-inspired cuisine poke bowls. Relax and enjoy the flavours on the chilled terrace overlooking the eucalyptus forest.

I loved the hotel’s Parisa restaurant. You can enjoy pre-dinner drinks in the speakeasy bar, with colourful murals and a soundtrack of Moroccan music, before dining on the outdoor terrace on sultry Tangier evenings. It’s a fun, contemporary vibe here, and maitre d’ Issam tells me he DJs later in the evening until 1am. The food is Persian/Moroccan, and Issam suggests the Zeytoon Parvardeh as a starter. It’s a combination of crushed olives and walnuts, aromatic herbs and pomegranate syrup, and it’s mouthwateringly delicious. This is followed by a main course of sea bass fillet marinated in saffron and fresh lime (Mahi Kabab) with roasted peppers and tomatoes – a delightful mix of summery flavours. Issam recommends the Bastani-Ye Akbar Mashti for dessert. It’s a Persian saffron ice cream with pistachio, and it proves to be an impeccable choice.

There’s a world-class spa for ultimate relaxation, offering a holistic approach with organic products. You can book yourself in for a facial using marocMaroc – a luxury skincare brand that combines modern science with timeless, fragrant rituals.

There’s a well-equipped fitness studio too.

The hotel can curate exclusive excursions with a driver and guide. Marrakech is a five-hour drive away, and it’s around two hours to Chefchaouen, the blue city. You can go horse riding on Achakkar beach, dolphin and whale watching at Tarifa – the Spanish seaside resort which is a 40-minute ferry ride away – or attend a cooking class to learn the secrets of the local cuisine.

Take time to get lost in the Medina (half an hour from the hotel in a taxi) an intriguing and delightful labyrinth of alleyways crammed with traditional homes and little shops full of treasures. It’s surrounded by the walls of a 15th-Century Portuguese fortress and you’ll want to photograph blue or green arched doorways, ancient banyan trees, bougainvillea, and postcard-perfect glimpses of Moroccan life.

© JOE CHUA AGDEPPA

There’s no shortage of experiences in Tangier. Enjoy a refreshing fresh orange juice at Cafe Salon Bleu, Place de la Kasbah, where you’ll climb up a spiral metal staircase to the rooftop to take in the fantastic view of Tangier Bay and the Straits of Gibraltar. It is situated in what used to be the ancient stables of the Sultan’s Palace. Samuel Pepys wrote under the fig tree just next to the small courtyard, Francis Bacon had a studio on the same street, and when the Rolling Stones were here in the 1960s, they resided nearby.

The Kasbah has long inspired writers and artists of the 20th Century: Matisse, Delacroix, Jack Kerouac, Jean Genet, William Burroughs, and Paul Bowles to name but a few. Decor is quaint – think traditionally patterned blue ceramic plates on the walls, a retro blue radio on a shelf in a corner, and a framed Spanish Elle cover which was shot here and you have the idea.

Factfile

• The temperature in September is a balmy 26-28C, and there’s a breeze from the sea which cools it down.
• A taxi from Fairmont Tazi Palace into town costs around 150 MAD (around £12).
• Currency: Pick up Moroccan Dirhams at the airport or from cashpoints in town.
• Book a deluxe room at the Fairmont Tazi Palace (including room tax) with a panoramic view and kingsize bed, starting from 4,099 MAD (approximately £335), depending on the time of year.