What are the best day trips from Tetouan?

Tetouan is the underrated jewel of the north — its UNESCO medina is the most Andalusian in Morocco, built by Muslims and Jews expelled from Spain — and it sits just inland from a string of Mediterranean beaches. The easiest escape is Martil, only 15 to 20 minutes away, a long sandy bay that’s the city’s summer playground. Just up the coast, M’diq is a tidy fishing-and-resort town with a marina, and Cabo Negro adds a headland with golf and calmer swimming. In summer these fill with Moroccan families; in spring and autumn you can have the sand almost to yourself.

The drive worth doing for its own sake is the coast road southeast toward Oued Laou and Bou Ahmed. It hugs the cliffs between the Rif and the sea, passing tiny coves, fishing villages and the occasional roadside grill where you eat the morning’s catch. There’s little "to do" in the guidebook sense — it’s about the drive, the light on the water, and stopping where you like. Allow a relaxed half to full day.

For something completely different, Ceuta — the Spanish enclave — is only about 40 minutes north, and crossing into it is like stepping into Spain: euros, tapas, Iberian architecture, a different rhythm entirely. You’ll need your passport and should expect a border queue, sometimes a long one, so go early and keep expectations flexible. It’s a fascinating curiosity rather than an unmissable sight, but few day trips in Morocco are quite so surreal.

And of course Chefchaouen lies about 90 minutes south, and many people day-trip to the blue city from Tetouan. It’s doable, though I’d gently suggest the reverse — sleep in Chefchaouen and visit Tetouan — since Tetouan’s own medina deserves an unhurried evening. Whichever way round, basing in the north lets you pair an Andalusian city, Mediterranean beaches and a blue mountain town within a very small radius.