Asilah

Asilah (also Assilah, Arzila) is a city in northern Morocco.

Get in

By train

• 1 Train station (2 km northeast of town along the beach. Minibuses sometimes meet the train in hopes of collecting passengers, 3 dirham. A petit taxi - red - just outside the building, 10 dirham.). Asilah lies on the rail line linking Tangier to Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Meknes, and Fez. (updated Feb 2020)

By bus

• 2 Gare Routière (on the main road opposite Shell gas station (walk past cemetery and turn left on main road one block to Shell station)). 

Buses from Tangier's Gare Routière leave frequently for 15 dirham. From Meknes 50 dirham; from Marrakesh 130 dirham (as of June 2011).

The connection from Tetouan is not good at all. There is only one bus leaving in the afternoon. Otherwise, unless you’re willing to pay for a private grand taxi (probably around 200 dirham), you’ll have to go to Tangier first.

By taxi

From Tangier, you can hire a grand taxi for the ~1 hr drive to Asilah. The fare is about 20 dirham per seat. A whole taxi should thus not be more than 180 dirham.

• 3 Grand taxis Larache. 20 dirham per person, leaving when full. 
• 4 Grand taxis Tanger. 

By plane

You can get to Asilah directly from Tanger Airport. The price is fixed to 200 dirham per taxi. Alternatively, the main road connecting Tanger and Asilah is 1.8 km from the airport, where you can flag down a grand taxi that will take you to Asilah for 15 dirham (there is much traffic, but most taxis don't go to Asilah, so you'll need some patience). This is much easier on the way back, where you’ll just have to ask the driver to let you exit.

Get around

Like most Moroccan towns, Asilah consists of a medina and a ville nouvelle (north and east of the medina). There are two main entry points to the medina: 1 Bab Al Homar and 2 Bab Al Kasbah.

Cars are not allowed in the Medina, making walking the easiest form of transportation in Asilah proper. It is a small enough town that walking should not be a problem.

Petit taxis are available if you need to go further, e.g. to the train station (2 km north).

See

The medina is small, clean, and features wall paintings by African artists. North and east of the medina, the ville nouvelle is also pleasant.

Do

• There are beautiful beaches both north and south of the town.

• The Assilah Festival (International Cultural Moussem of Asilah). An annual cultural extravaganza that takes place in August. The festival features journalists, writers, painters, musicians and dancers from all over the world. Workshops, public arts demonstrations, concerts and exhibitions are held throughout the month. The highlight is the mural paintings in the Medina. An entire wall is used as a canvas for an intriguing mix of fantasy representational art and geometric designs that offset the whitewashed walls of the houses. The festival is North Africa’s biggest cultural gathering. 

Eat

Due to its proximity to Spain and the large number of Spanish tourists it sees, Asilah's restaurants offer Spanish classics such as paella and tortilla, in addition to the ubiquitous tagine and couscous. Many restaurants, including local seafood restaurants, are located along Ave Mohamed el Hassani, with covered terraces next the southeast wall of the medina. Ask which ones serve beer or wine.

• 1 Fruit and vegetable market (just south of Bab Al-Homar). For self-catering. 

Drink

Enjoy mint tea in one of the cafés.

Sleep

A couple of guesthouse with rooms starting from 100 dirham are available and offered by touts that find you when walking with a backpack.

• 1 Christina's Place. Beautiful hostel/guesthouse a 3-minute walk from the Medina. Double room 380 dirham. (updated Feb 2020)

• Seaview Flat Marina Golf. A fully equipped serviced flat for up to 4 people in the Asilah Marina Golf, security 24/7, communal gardens and swimming pools, during summer period they organize animation for kids around the swimming pool. From €29 for 4 people. 

• 2 Hotel Belle-Vue. It has Wi-Fi in the lobby. Fairly negative reviews. Double w/o bathroom from 100 dirham off-season, 200 dirham season. 

• 3 Hotel Sahara. 140 dirham. (updated Feb 2020)
• There is at least one camping site.

Go next

• Larache
• Tangier