Asilah, charm and authenticity south of Tangier

Its location on the Atlantic coast has attracted visitors for thousands of years. The Phoenicians, the first to establish a port there, the Portuguese who fortified it, and the Spanish. Asilah (Morocco) also served as a haven for pirates, protected by its ramparts. Today, tourists like to get lost in its medina. In Asilah, the whitewashed walls and blue shutters are reminiscent of the Greek islands, with mosques added.

Located about forty kilometers south of Tangier (Morocco), the city is much less known than the large port of the North, but much quieter. Its authenticity is also due to its fishermen, attached to their traditional boats. Like its rooftop terraces that recall a painter’s palettes, the city also attracts artists, such as Younès El Kharraz, who describes Asilah as “an open gallery”. Since 1978, every summer, painters have been invited to cover the walls of the city.