The ramparts & medina
Pace the 15th-century Portuguese sea walls, then drop into the whitewashed lanes of blue doors and painted murals within.
Agadir, Morocco · 300 days of sunshine· Concierge · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 GMT+1
Atlantic coast · Northern Morocco
Asilah, Morocco
A whitewashed Atlantic art town near Tangier — Portuguese ramparts, painted murals and a calm, walkable medina in the far north.
Best time
May–September for the coast; the arts festival is in summer
Recommended
A half-day or overnight from Tangier
Airport
Tangier Ibn Battouta (TNG) + 45 min
Region
Atlantic coast · Northern Morocco
Why Asilah
Forty minutes south of Tangier, Asilah is the prettiest little town on Morocco's far-northern coast: a compact whitewashed medina wrapped in Portuguese ramparts, all cobalt doors, spilling bougainvillea and Atlantic surf slapping the walls. Every summer an arts festival splashes fresh murals across the lanes, and the town stays creative and unhurried the rest of the year. It sits at the far opposite end of the Atlantic seaboard from Agadir — and where our southern coast runs to wide resort bays and surf breaks, Asilah is its small-scale northern cousin, an intimate art town that slips easily into a Tangier-and-Rif itinerary.
What to see
Highlights of Asilah.
Street-art murals
Walls given a fresh coat of art each summer during the Asilah Arts Festival, turning the whole medina into an open-air gallery.
Paradise Beach
A long ribbon of sand a short ride south, reached by horse-cart in the summer months.
Itineraries
Our Asilah tours.
Every itinerary below is privately operated, fully customisable, and includes a deep stop in Asilah. Click any tour for the day-by-day plan, the map, dates and pricing.
1 day
Tangier & Asilah coastal day
Pair the kasbah of Tangier with the whitewashed art town of Asilah on a single private day.
from $220Enquire →
Before you go
Practical notes.
- Getting there: 45 minutes south of Tangier by road or train
- Best for: Art, photography and a calm coastal pause on a northern route
Concierge
Have your Asilah trip designed by a local
Tell us your dates, group size and pace. We'll send back a written proposal within 24 hours — private guides, transfers, riads, the lot.
Request a proposalFAQ
Asilah — common questions.
Is Asilah worth visiting?+
If you're already up north, yes — it's the most charming small town on the coast, with its Portuguese ramparts, a whitewashed medina full of murals and an unhurried pace. It dovetails beautifully with Tangier or Chefchaouen.
How far is Asilah from Tangier?+
About 45 km, or 40–45 minutes by car or train. Easy as a half-day trip from Tangier, or as a calm overnight right by the sea.
Read more
From the journal
Stories and practical guides to plan your time in Asilah and the wider Atlantic coast · Northern Morocco.
Closest destinations
Pair Asilah with.
These destinations are closest to Asilah — easily combined on a private itinerary.
32 kmAtlantic coast · Northern Morocco
Larache
The far Atlantic north beyond Rabat — Larache's faded Spanish-colonial port and the nearby Roman ruins of Lixus.
Explore
40 kmStrait of Gibraltar · Northern Morocco
Tangier
Where Africa looks across at Europe — the kasbah city of Bowles and Matisse, sitting in the corner of Morocco furthest from the Agadir coast.
Explore
62 kmRif mountains · Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma
Tétouan
Far north of Agadir's sunshine coast — Tetouan's UNESCO Andalusian medina, the Rif's whitewashed Spanish-Moroccan jewel.
Explore