Tangier, Morocco - an ancient port that may surprise you

I have actually been to Morocco quite a few times I've filmed in Morocco, films like Hideous Kinky but I didn't really know what to expect with Tangier. Welcome to Tangier. As you can tell we're in Morocco immediately because it's got that Moroccan feel about it. We're going to walk down to the market which is just down there and then afterwards we'll see if we can explore the Casbah and the Medina. This is the Soco, this is the main square this is where you pick up your free walking tours but unfortunately ours got cancelled today. Never mind, we'll do our best. First thing to say is it's small. You may get the free shuttle bus up to the Soco but the walk down is pretty quick and the walk up wouldn't be that difficult so you can find your way around really easily and you're going to keep walking around and coming back to the same place basically. It's this market or souk or medina and a fortress which you would expect being opposite Gibraltar. Because we gained two hours in our journey here, we're raring to go, but it looks like the shops are just waking up. So the message is you don't need to rush out to see this place. It's quite small, unless you're getting the red-top bus. We're in the park now. It's quite big. And there are loads and loads of cats and kittens. They love them, and they actually take care of them. Oh, isn't that lovely? If you've got some spare change give it to this guy, looks after the cats He won't ask you for anything, but he buys medicine and he looks after them There are fewer dogs here. All the dogs have to be tagged, but the cats are everywhere pretty it's very Moroccan You certainly won't get to walk around all of these streets if you go on the red top bus And we did find some really interesting little sort of solo owned factories where they make things so it's a choice we did the walking tour next time I'd probably do the redtop bus people here are so friendly and they talk to you in a sort of mock cockney accent they say come and have a butchers in the shop it's hilarious they're very gentle people through the market you come out to this square where all the cafes are it doesn't appear to be any featured things you must see which may be why our walking tour guide cancelled as well as the fact that not many people asked to go on it so we found the mosque it's actually not far from the ship but it's not open yet it only opens when they pray we did have a planned route but we soon got lost but it doesn't matter because you can just wander through the souk nothing is far and everybody is so helpful if you ask them where you are this appears to be an old english gunpoint and it's got a great view of the ship in fact you're never very far from the ship it's easy to get back but there is a cannon there as we both caught the ship bug it was good that the pharmacies actually prescribed things how much of the souks morocco is very much a cafe culture strong coffee and honey and nut sweets wrapped in filo pastry and as Gene said not once did we ever feel in any way threatened the people couldn't have been nicer and I'm not sure as I can remember a place where everybody was so friendly Tangier is very accepting to tourists they like you and it doesn't matter if you don't buy they certainly were not hassling us like has happened in other parts of Morocco it's something very interesting there's a factory under this shop which you can actually view through the window guy inside was really nice didn't seem to care we didn't buy anything so this is where to come to get your bags and your purses this man makes them here he's got a factory downstairs that you've just seen and they're incredible the prices in the factory are much cheaper than the prices in the shops because he charges the same for the locals as for the tourists there's no difference but we like rich in collagen and elastin and hyaluron I said as well, say again rich in collagen, collagen yeah, how much is that in euros I have I don't know 40 euro okay so everybody knows how to charge for face creams personally don't understand that market but it's a boom are you right you sell on the internet have you yes oils and creams all natural ingredients all gonna work the ladies this is where to come everyone is so friendly there's no hassle it's so much different to other places in Morocco I've been where they hassle you all the time. It's a pleasure to walk here absolutely calm and cheerful and friendly. So Tangier genuinely was a very pleasant surprise and although we walked around quite a lot we were back early. I'm going to go and have a look in here. Considering this has been such an important port in the Gibraltar Straits since the Phoenician times I was quite surprised that it wasn't more commercial. There are arches like this all around the market. We're going through this one to the port. Let's have a look at the Tangier Fortifications Interpretation Centre. Tangier's fortifications span over 2,500 years. Layered in history, foundation, well, kind of go back to the Phoenician and Roman times when Tangier was the city. That was the 5th century BC. Many of the walls are a lot later though this is as far as the free entry bit goes then you have to buy a ticket to walk around this bit Portuguese period 1471 to 1661 then the English occupation 1662 to 1684 quite a short period and then the Moroccans took it back the hop on hop off bus is only 13 euros but just bear in mind it goes every hour so if you get off to see some of the attractions you are going to need the whole day to see everything because every time you get off you have to wait an hour for the next one to come along to get back on and the buses can be full up especially the upstairs so do start early if you plan on using the red top bus you come up from the ship and you turn right you'll pass a fishing port and then you'll carry along along by the sea which is very different from walking through the souk and if you turn left and keep walking you will come to a beach so there is the choice we're back in Coruna and with the ship being so wonderfully close to the town a walking tour is definitely on the cards electrically assisted bikes so you don't need a lot of effort Maria Pita Square is literally a five minute stroll from the ship and in the corner here is the information office where you can go in and get a map it is a town where you might carry one of those plastic macs because it can rain in La Coruna Shakespeare there's Bernard Shaw if you turn left from the port you'll find this little park it's nice to stroll through there's lots of statues and waterfalls if you turn right you'll walk all the way to the lighthouse just to reiterate buy your ticket here in the parking lot before you walk up to the tower it's a long walk back down and the view from the ship of the Tower of Hercules the The station is a short bus ride, 8,000 steps, about 40 minutes. Is it to Vigo? What train? The destination is Vigo. Our tour is 18 euros. We opted for the guide on the phone. I'm going to order another one. There's two ships in Split today, the MSC Sinfonia and the P&O Azura. Please don't forget to subscribe to this channel. And if you've discovered our thrilling cruise novels, the best way to read all ten is in the Mega Box Set, because it's about the cost of one book. On Amazon, the CSCI Mega Box Set.