Things to do · Cap Spartel
Just 20 minutes west of Tangier, the headland of Cap Spartel is where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea. With the lighthouse, the legendary Caves of Hercules and a wide Atlantic beach, it is the city's classic half-day escape. Here is what to see.
7 experiences
Built in 1864 on the cliffs of the cape, this working lighthouse marks the north-western corner of Africa and the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The surrounding terraces give long views over the meeting of two seas.
Cap Spartel is the conventional point where the Atlantic and the Mediterranean join. There is no visible line in the water, but the headland marks the geographic corner, with the Spanish coast often visible across the strait.
A short distance south at Achakar, these part-natural, part-quarried sea caves open to the ocean through an aperture shaped like the map of Africa. Stone was cut here for millstones for centuries, shaping the cave seen today.
The cave's most photographed feature is the sea-facing 'window' whose silhouette resembles the African continent. It is best seen and photographed from inside the cave looking out toward the Atlantic.
Below the cape, this broad Atlantic beach is good for walks, surf and seaside cafés. Its open sands and ocean sunsets make it a natural place to pause between the lighthouse and the caves.
The coast road from Tangier to the cape winds through the green Rmilat forest, a wooded clifftop area with picnic spots and viewpoints — a pleasant scenic approach to the headland.
The Caves of Hercules and the Cotta site nearby preserve traces of antiquity, including remnants of Roman-era fish-salting works that once produced the prized sauce garum along this Atlantic shore.
Cap Spartel is about 14 km west of Tangier, roughly a 20-minute drive along the coast road. It is easily combined with the nearby Caves of Hercules as a half-day trip from the city.
Cap Spartel is the north-west corner of Africa and the western mouth of the Strait of Gibraltar — the conventional meeting point of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. There is no visible boundary in the water, but it is the geographic corner where the two seas join.
They are part-natural, part-man-made sea caves at Achakar near Cap Spartel. Their famous sea-facing opening is said to resemble the map of Africa, and the caves were enlarged over centuries by quarrying stone for millstones.
See it with a local
We'll build a private, guided plan around the experiences you care about — with a driver, hand-picked riads and a written quote in 24 hours.
Contact us for pricingMore cities