Morocco
Tétouan
An Andalusian medina transplanted to Africa — white plaster, iron balconies, trailing jasmine.
Spain built this medina, then Morocco reclaimed it — the result is a place where Andalusian wrought-iron balconies hang over North African alleys, jasmine trails from whitewashed walls, and the architecture feels like a memory of Granada transplanted across the strait. The medina is UNESCO-listed and remarkably intact, its plazas and fountains retaining the proportions and ornament of a Spanish colonial town that happens to be in Africa.
Tétouan's medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised for its exceptional preservation of Andalusian-Moroccan architecture. Founded in the late 15th century by refugees from the Reconquista, the town retains the architectural signatures of Moorish Spain — arched doorways, tiled fountains, and plaster facades that would not look out of place in Seville. The Royal Palace, the Hassan II arts complex, and the school of traditional arts maintain the city's reputation as a centre for Moroccan craftsmanship. Tétouan sits at the foot of the Rif Mountains, roughly 60 kilometres from Tangier, and serves as a gateway to the Mediterranean beaches of Martil and M'diq.
Solo
The medina is compact, safe, and astonishingly beautiful — a place where solo wandering is rewarded with sudden courtyards, hidden gardens, and architectural details that other visitors miss entirely.
Couple
The Andalusian atmosphere, whitewashed lanes, and proximity to Mediterranean beaches make Tétouan an elegant base for couples exploring the northern coast.
- The medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site with Andalusian architecture transplanted from Granada.
- White-plastered walls, wrought-iron balconies, and jasmine-draped courtyards feel more Spanish than Moroccan.
- The Royal School of Traditional Arts trains artisans in zellige, plaster carving, and woodwork.
- The Ensanche district preserves Spanish colonial Art Deco alongside Moroccan modernism.
Andalusian pastries — briouats stuffed with almond paste and dipped in orange blossom honey.
Fresh cheese and olive platters at morning cafés in the Place Hassan II.
Rye
England
Cobblestoned lanes so steep and crooked even the houses lean in to listen.
Shell Grotto, Margate
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Millions of shells arranged in unexplained mosaics beneath a mundane street — origin unknown.
Abydos
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Temple paint vivid after thirty-three centuries, concealing an underground granite chamber that still puzzles archaeologists.
Casabindo
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Argentina's only bull ceremony strips ribbons from horns at 3,400 metres each August.
Chefchaouen
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Blue-washed walls dripping with bougainvillea in a mountain medina where cats outnumber cars.
Fes el-Bali
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Nine thousand alleys where the smell of cedar, leather, and centuries of spice never fades.
Essaouira
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Atlantic gales rattle shutters on a fortified port where Hendrix once jammed with Gnawa musicians.
Erg Chebbi
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Saharan dunes taller than apartment blocks turning from gold to crimson as the sun drops.