What are the best photo spots in Tangier?

Tangier is a wonderfully photogenic city because of its setting — perched on a hillside above the Strait of Gibraltar, with the light bouncing off the water — and the Kasbah is where I send photographers first. The steep lanes of the upper medina are painted white and blue, framed by carved doorways and the occasional cat, and at the top the ramparts open onto sweeping views over the port and across the strait to Spain. Shoot it in the late afternoon when the low sun warms the walls and the sea behind them goes silver.

The signature Tangier shot, though, is Café Hafa. The café's terraced tables step down the cliff toward the sea, and a photo from the upper level — mint-tea glasses in the foreground, the blue of the strait stretching to the horizon, ferries crossing to Europe — captures the whole romance of the city in one frame. It has been a literary haunt since 1921, and the worn simplicity of it is part of the picture. Sunset here is one of the great photographic moments in northern Morocco.

Out at Cap Spartel, the Caves of Hercules deliver the most dramatic single image in the region: from inside the dark cave, the sea-carved opening frames the bright Atlantic, and the famous outline is said to resemble the map of Africa. It is a much-photographed spot for a reason — the contrast of the black cave walls and the luminous ocean beyond is striking. Get there earlier in the day to shoot it before the tour buses fill the cave, and pair it with the lighthouse and cliffs at the cape itself.

Back in town, the medina's two squares — the Petit Socco with its old cafés and the larger Grand Socco — are full of street-life shots, and the new marina offers a cleaner, modern waterfront composition with boats and the city rising behind. A couple of honest notes: ask before photographing people, especially in the medina, and a small tip is sometimes expected; and the very best of Tangier is always the strait itself, so build your shooting around golden hour when Africa and Europe glow across the water.