What can you do in Tetouan in a day?

Tetouan is one of Morocco's most overlooked cities, and a single day here feels like a discovery because so few foreign tourists bother. Its medina is UNESCO-listed and unlike any other in the country — it was rebuilt by Andalusian Muslims and Jews expelled from Spain, so the architecture, the whitewashed walls, the food and even the dialect carry a strong Spanish-Andalusian stamp. I'd spend the bulk of the day simply walking it. It's compact, remarkably authentic, and the souks here serve locals rather than tour groups, so the leather, textiles and produce stalls feel genuine and the hassle is minimal.

Anchor the morning at Place Hassan II, the grand plaza fronting the Royal Palace, where the old medina meets the Spanish-built new town. Just inside the medina walls, the Ethnographic Museum housed in an old fortress is small but excellent for understanding the city's blended heritage, with displays of traditional dress, weapons and Andalusian crafts. Tetouan also has a justly famous School of Arts and Crafts (Dar Sanaa), where you can watch students learning zellij tilework, woodcarving and embroidery the traditional way.

For lunch, lean into the city's distinctive cooking — the Andalusian influence shows up in the pastries and the seafood, since the Mediterranean coast and the resort of Martil are just minutes away. If you have an extra hour and a car, a quick run down to the coast for a sea view rounds the day off nicely.

One day is the right amount for Tetouan, and its great virtue is location: it sits perfectly on the route between Tangier and Chefchaouen, so I often slot it in as a half- or full-day stop rather than a destination in itself. Travellers are almost always surprised by how much character it packs and how few other tourists they share it with.