Day trips to Morocco – top 5 from Playa Tropical

Africa is closer than you think

At its narrowest point the Strait of Gibraltar is only about 14 km wide. On a clear day you can see Morocco's mountains from the motorway at Tarifa. But from Playa Tropical it is not the Strait that is the long stretch – it is the 220–245 km or so by car to the ferries in Algeciras and Tarifa. That is why most of the trips below make for long days, and why we often recommend an overnight stay.

There are three ferry ports that make sense from Playa Tropical:

• Tarifa – the fast ferry to Tanger Ville, approx. 1 hour. You land in the middle of Tangier.
• Algeciras – fast ferries to Ceuta, approx. 1 hour, and ferries to the big port of Tanger Med, about 49 km from Tangier city.
• Motril – large car and passenger ferries to Melilla (all year round) and to Nador and Al Hoceima. The crossing takes 5–7 hours, and most departures are in the evening or at night.

Remember that Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish towns. You pay in euros, and they are on Spanish time. If you want to go on into Morocco proper from there, you must cross a land border that is the EU's external border – and there can be queues of several hours.

Top 5 – our ranking

We have ranked the trips by what best suits a reader who is staying at Playa Tropical on holiday, would like to experience Morocco and does not want a day that falls apart. The times apply to winter 2026/27, when Morocco has the same time as Spain. Ferry times and prices are examples from November 2026 – always check with the ferry company before you book.

1. Tangier via Tarifa – the most Morocco for your money

This is the trip where you get the real Morocco: the medina with its narrow streets, the kasbah at the top of the hill, the Grand Socco, mint tea at Café Hafa with a view of Spain and, if you like, a taxi out to Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules. The fast ferry from Tarifa is run by Baleària, which took over the route in May 2025, and it takes about 1 hour. You land in the town's old port, about 1.7 km from the Grand Socco.

• Suits: you if you want to see a genuine Moroccan medina and are up for a long day – or a night in Tarifa.
• Length of the day: 16–18 hours if you drive there and back on the same day (approx. 500 km). With a night in Tarifa before or after, it becomes a good, relaxed day with 7–8 hours in Tangier.
• Price: foot-passenger ferry ticket approx. 30–50 € (≈ 373 kr.) each way according to the ticket portals. Baleària's day trip «Maravillas de Tánger» from Tarifa with ferry, bus, guide and lunch from 89 € (≈ 664 kr.).
• Guide: you can easily manage on your own, but an organised tour from Tarifa is the easiest first visit.

Read all about ferries, organised tours, timetable, sights and toilets in Tangier – a day trip to Africa from Tarifa.

2. Ceuta – the easiest trip to Africa

Ceuta is Spain on the northern tip of Africa. The fast ferry from Algeciras takes about 1 hour, and DFDS sails at least five times a day each way (Baleària and Armas also sail the route). The town has the impressive royal walls, the Murallas Reales, with a seawater moat, Plaza de África, remains of Arab baths, low-tax shopping and the view from Monte Hacho across the Strait. There is no medina or souk – it is a Spanish town with a strong North African feel.

• Suits: you if you want a safe first trip to Africa without a land border, with euros, Spanish time and EU roaming.
• Length of the day: approx. 15 hours (leave at 6, home around 21.15) with just over 4 hours in Ceuta.
• Price: from approx. 38 € (≈ 283 kr.) each way for foot passengers according to Ferryhopper. Parking at the terminal in Algeciras 18.75 € (≈ 140 kr.) per day via Parclick (checked 02-11-2026).
• Guide: not necessary. We have not found organised day trips that go to Ceuta only.

Read more in Ceuta – a Spanish town in Africa.

3. Melilla on the night ferry from Motril – the least driving

Motril is only about 18 km from Playa Tropical. From here Armas Trasmediterránea sails the Volcán de Timanfaya to Melilla. In November 2026 the company's website showed departure from Motril at 23.30 and arrival at 6.30, and the return from Melilla at 15.30 arriving in Motril at 20.30. You sleep on the ferry on the way over, have a whole day in the town and are home in the evening. Melilla has the fortress of Melilla la Vieja on the rock by the harbour and one of Spain's largest districts of modernist buildings, designed by Enrique Nieto.

• Suits: you if you do not want to spend 6 hours in a car, and can sleep in a reclining seat or cabin.
• Length of the day: from 22.00 in the evening to around 21.15 the next day, with about 8 hours in Melilla.
• Price: we have not been able to confirm the foot-passenger fare – see the company's website. You only pay for 36 km of fuel.
• Guide: not necessary. The tourist office on Plaza de las Culturas has maps of the modernist route.

If you want to go on across the border to Nador in Morocco, stay overnight. The queue at Beni Enzar took up to 2–3 hours in October 2026.

Read more in Morocco from Motril – the night ferry to Melilla.

4. Tétouan via Ceuta – the UNESCO medina

Tétouan's white medina has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1997. It was rebuilt after 1492 by refugees from al-Andalus, and in many ways it is reminiscent of Andalusia. You get there by ferry from Algeciras to Ceuta, a taxi about 5 km to the border at Tarajal, on foot across the border and about 37 km on to Tétouan.

• Suits: you if you want to see a living, less touristy medina and can live with the uncertainty of a land border.
• Length of the day: as a day trip approx. 17–18 hours with 4–5 hours in Tétouan, if the border goes smoothly. We recommend an overnight stay.
• Price: the ferry to Ceuta as above plus taxis on both sides of the border. We have not been able to confirm taxi fares.
• Guide: an organised tour is by far the easiest – it handles the border and the transport for you.

The border at Tarajal can mean long queues. According to EFE, there were queues of up to 3–4 hours by car over the All Saints' weekend on 31-10-2026, and up to 5–8 hours in May 2026. There are no figures for pedestrians. Avoid weekends and public holidays.

5. Chefchaouen – the blue town (2–3 days)

Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains is perhaps Morocco's most photographed town: blue streets, steps, the kasbah by the Uta el-Hammam square and the Ras el-Maa spring. But it lies about 100 km from the border at Ceuta and 126 km from Tanger Med along mountain roads. From Playa Tropical it takes 7–8 hours each way. It is not a day trip.

• Suits: you if you have 2–3 days and want the big experience – ideally combined with Tétouan.
• Length of the day: at least two days with a night in Chefchaouen or Tétouan. Ideally three days with a night in Algeciras before the ferry.
• Price: Nattivus' 2-day tour from Algeciras with Tétouan and Chefchaouen, ferry, bus, guides, lunches and one night half-board from 177 US dollars per person in a double room (checked 02-11-2026).
• Guide: recommended – an organised tour is by far the easiest.

Read about both towns in Tétouan and Chefchaouen.

Comparison

Organised tours

None of the organised tours we have found pick up in Almuñécar, Nerja or Motril. They start in Málaga, Tarifa or Algeciras. From Playa Tropical it is about 81 km and just over 1 hour to Málaga – see also day trip to Málaga.

• From Tarifa to Tangier: Baleària «Maravillas de Tánger» with guide and lunch from 89 € (≈ 664 kr.), VIP tour from 180 € (≈ 1,343 kr.). Civitatis from 88.90 € (≈ 663 kr.), approx. 9 hours.
• From Málaga to Tangier: Civitatis from 169 € (≈ 1,261 kr.), approx. 15 hours. Nattivus from 188.50 US dollars, pick-up in Málaga at 4.30.
• From Algeciras to Tétouan and Chefchaouen: Nattivus, 2 days from 177 US dollars. From Málaga, 3 days also including Tangier from 340 US dollars.

Prices checked on the operators' own websites on 02-11-2026. Details, pick-up points and what is included are in the articles on Tangier and Tétouan and Chefchaouen.

How to get to the ferries

By car: To Algeciras and Tarifa you take the A-7 towards Málaga and on past Marbella and Estepona. West of Málaga you can choose the free A-7 or the AP-7 toll motorway. The last stretch from Algeciras to Tarifa follows the N-340 over the hills – stop at the Mirador del Estrecho viewpoint. To Motril you simply drive about 18 km east along the A-7. The buttons below the map at the bottom open the routes from Playa Tropical directly in Google Maps.

Parking: At the ferry terminal in Algeciras is the 24-hour COPARK Estación Marítima car park (18.75 € (≈ 140 kr.) per day, 50 € (≈ 373 kr.) for three days via Parclick, checked 02-11-2026). In Tarifa there is a 24-hour car park by the port, and in Motril a large parking area in the port – we have not found official daily rates for those two. Leave the car in Spain. See also parking.

By bus: There is no direct bus from Almuñécar to Algeciras or Tarifa. ALSA runs to Málaga, where you change. For the night ferry in Motril, car or taxi is the realistic option. See buses.

Something to see on the way: The Rock of Gibraltar from the motorway at Algeciras, the Mirador del Estrecho and the old town of Tarifa. Towards Motril is the white town of Salobreña with its Moorish castle right by the A-7. And all along the coast, including at Playa Tropical, stand the watchtowers built against pirates from North Africa – read pirates and watchtowers.

Markets and food

In the medinas of Tangier and Tétouan the streets are one big market, open every day: spices, olives, leather, ceramics, lamps and rugs. Out in the countryside, weekly markets are held on one fixed day a week. There are rarely price tags, so you have to haggle – kindly and at your leisure. You will find fixed prices in supermarkets and in the state crafts centres.

Taste mint tea, harira, tagine, pastilla, msemen for breakfast and couscous – traditionally the Friday dish. Drink bottled water, and eat hot food cooked in front of you. Alcohol is only served in hotels, restaurants and bars with a licence. In Ceuta and Melilla you eat and drink as in the rest of Spain.

Haggling step by step, the dishes and what you may take home: markets and food in northern Morocco. You will find the markets on the Costa Tropical on markets.

Passport, visa and customs – the essentials

• Passport: Always bring your passport – also to Ceuta and Melilla, where the police check identity before you sail back to the mainland. Danes do not have a national ID card. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that your passport is valid for at least 90 days after leaving Morocco. Norway and Germany say six months, and so does Baleària on its day trips. Our advice: have at least six months left.
• Visa: Danes, Norwegians, Swedes and Germans do not need a visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days (Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs 28-05-2026, the Swedish Embassy, Auswärtiges Amt, regjeringen.no). You may be asked to show a return ticket.
• Customs on the way back to Spain: Morocco is not in the EU, and Ceuta and Melilla lie outside the EU customs territory. According to the Agencia Tributaria (updated 23-09-2026), travelling by boat you may bring goods worth at most 430 € (≈ 3,208 kr.) per person (children under 15: 150 € (≈ 1,119 kr.)), plus at most 200 cigarettes, 1 litre of spirits over 22 %, 4 litres of wine and 16 litres of beer.
• Prohibited: meat, sausages, milk and cheese – including the local goat's cheese – may not be brought into the EU. Fruit, plants and fresh mint require a certificate (dates are exempt). Counterfeit branded goods may be confiscated by customs.

All the details, money, mobile, insurance, time zone and a checklist to print: practical guide to the Morocco trip.

The 10 most important dos and don'ts

1. Bring your passport. Without it you will neither get into Morocco nor home from Ceuta and Melilla.
2. Cover shoulders and knees in the medinas – both men and women.
3. Ask before you photograph people. Never photograph police, military, border posts or port facilities – according to the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs it can lead to arrest.
4. Do not enter mosques. Non-Muslims may not enter most mosques in Morocco. View them from outside.
5. Say a friendly no thank you to «helpful» strangers who want to show you the way. If you want a guide, agree the price first.
6. Agree the fare before the ride with the taxi driver, and use only authorised taxis.
7. Haggle kindly – and once you have agreed a price, buy.
8. Use your right hand when eating, giving and receiving.
9. Say no to hashish and to strangers' parcels. Dealing and use are severely punished, even in small amounts.
10. Show consideration during Ramadan (expected approx. 8 February–9 March 2027): do not eat, drink or smoke in public during the day.

Toilets and practical matters

Toilets: Use the ferry's before you go ashore. In Morocco there are few public toilets – buy a cup of tea at a café. Bring toilet paper and a few dirhams in small coins. Do not count on toilets in the border queues, although toilets have been built at the pedestrian entrance to the border in Ceuta.

Money: Euros in Ceuta and Melilla. Morocco uses dirhams, which you can only get on the other side. Only change what you need.

Mobile: Morocco is not covered by the EU roaming rules. Turn off data roaming, and put your phone in flight mode on the ferry.

Insurance: The blue EU health insurance card is valid in Ceuta and Melilla, but not in Morocco. Have travel insurance that covers Morocco.

Safety: The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks you to «exercise increased caution» throughout Morocco (yellow level), but also says that most Danes have no problems. Watch out for pickpockets in crowds.

Mobility: The medinas have cobbles, steps and steep streets – especially the kasbah in Tangier and all of Chefchaouen. Ceuta's centre and Melilla's Ensanche are flat. An organised tour saves you a lot of walking and finding your way.

All articles in the series

• Tangier – a day trip to Africa from Tarifa: the fast ferry, Tarifa or Tanger Med, organised tours, the kasbah, the medina, Café Hafa, Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules.
• Ceuta – a Spanish town in Africa: the ferry from Algeciras, Murallas Reales, Monte Hacho, shopping, food and the border with Morocco at Tarajal.
• Morocco from Motril: the night ferry to Melilla, the fortress and the modernist buildings, Nador and the border at Beni Enzar.
• Tétouan and Chefchaouen: the UNESCO medina and the blue town – via Ceuta or Tanger Med, with an overnight stay.
• Markets and food in northern Morocco: types of souk, what you can buy, haggling step by step, customs rules and the dishes you should taste.
• Practical guide to the Morocco trip: passport, visa, customs, dirhams, mobile, insurance, time zone, dos and don'ts and a checklist to print.

You will find more trips on this side of the Strait under excursions.

Maps and routes

Red star = Playa Tropical. Click on a point for the name and distance. Map data © OpenStreetMap.

Good advice

• Start with Ceuta or Tangier. Ceuta is the easiest trip. Tangier gives you the most Morocco.
• Spend a night by the Strait. A night in Tarifa or Algeciras turns an exhausting day into a good trip.
• Check the timetable the same week. The ferry companies change owners and departures, and storms in the Strait can cancel sailings.
• Arrive in good time. Baleària in Tarifa wants foot passengers at the desk 60 minutes before departure, DFDS in Algeciras 90 minutes before.
• Avoid weekends and public holidays if you are crossing the land border at Ceuta or Melilla.
• Keep an eye on the clock. In summer and during Ramadan, Morocco is 1 hour behind Spain. Ferry times are given in local time.
• Cash in small change for taxis, toilets and tea.
• Good shoes and a jacket. Cobbles in the medina and wind on the ferry.
• Check the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel advice for Morocco just before the trip. It can change without warning.

Prices, ferry times and border conditions change quickly. All figures here are from November 2026. Check the ferry company's website, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel advice and the local newspapers in Ceuta and Melilla before you set off.

Krone amounts are converted at 1 € ≈ 7.46 kr. and rounded.