Tangier · Half day
Cap Spartel & Caves of Hercules
The Atlantic headland where the lighthouse meets the sea-carved caves
Duration
Half day
Group size
1–6 travellers
Difficulty
Easy
Languages
English, French, Spanish
From / person
$120
Overview
A half-day to Cap Spartel — the lighthouse headland north-west of Tangier — and the Caves of Hercules at Achakar, with their famous Africa-shaped sea opening.
Twelve kilometres west of Tangier the land runs out at Cap Spartel, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea and a 19th-century lighthouse marks the corner of Africa. Below it, at Achakar, the Caves of Hercules open to the sea through a famous gap shaped — depending on who you ask — like the map of Africa.
We drive the coast road out past the Rmilat forest, stop for photos at the cape, walk the caves, and take in the long Atlantic beach at Achakar before returning to the city. An easy, scenic half-day and the classic Tangier excursion.
Trip highlights
- Cap Spartel lighthouse and headland
- The point where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean
- Caves of Hercules with the Africa-shaped sea window
- Achakar Atlantic beach
- Coast road through the Rmilat forest
Photo gallery
Inside the trip.
Day-by-day itinerary
Tangier → Tangier
- 1
14:00 · Hotel pickup
TangierPrivate pickup from your hotel or the medina; drive the coast road west.
- 2
14:45 · Cap Spartel
Cap Spartel lighthousePhoto stop at the lighthouse where two seas meet at the corner of Africa.
- 3
15:30 · Caves of Hercules
AchakarWalk the sea caves and the Africa-shaped opening, then the beach below.
- 4
17:00 · Return to Tangier
TangierDrive back to the city; drop-off at your hotel or the medina.
Cities & regions on this trip
You'll experience 1 destination.
Each stop has its own deep-dive guide — geography, history, best season, things to see, and other tours that visit it. Tap any card to open its dedicated page.
The route
Map of Cap Spartel & Caves of Hercules
4 stops across Tangier. Distances and timings are flexible — every itinerary is reshaped to your pace.
- 1
Tangier
Start
- 2
Cap Spartel
Lighthouse
- 3
Caves of Hercules
Caves
- 4
Tangier
Return
What's included
- Private vehicle with driver and fuel
- Local driver-guide
- Caves of Hercules entrance
- Bottled water
Not included
- Lunch or refreshments
- Tips for your driver-guide
What to bring
Pack light, pack smart.
- Closed shoes for the caves
- A windproof layer for the headland
- Camera
- Sunscreen
Frequently asked
Questions about this tour.
Do the Atlantic and Mediterranean really meet at Cap Spartel?
Cap Spartel is the north-west corner of Africa, the headland that marks the western mouth of the Strait of Gibraltar — the conventional meeting point of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. There's no visible line in the water, but it's the geographic corner where the two seas join.
What are the Caves of Hercules?
A part-natural, part-man-made sea cave at Achakar, west of Tangier. Its most photographed feature is a sea-facing opening said to resemble the map of Africa. Stone was quarried here for millstones for centuries, which shaped the cave you see today.
Is this a morning or afternoon trip?
We usually run it in the afternoon so the light on the Atlantic and the cave opening is best, but morning departures are fine on request — just tell us when you book.
