Chic Morocco is an agency that organizes premium trips, but cruises are not part of our service portfolio. However, knowing which are the cities through which cruises pass in Morocco can be useful to understand which are the main coastal destinations in this country. In addition, some of the cruise lines allow you to book partial cruises, so you could get on or off your cruise in those cities, before or after your circuit. Therefore, if you like cruises and you have in mind to visit Morocco, pay attention to the information below.
The three cities served by cruise ships in Morocco
Not all cities with a port can accommodate cruise ships in Morocco. For this, the port must meet a number of characteristics, especially in terms of size and services : its depth and layout must allow the berthing of large ships, with significant draft and length, for which it must be approved.
In addition, the shipping companies that organize the cruises assess whether the city or the surroundings of the port have enough tourist attraction to include it in their itinerary. This is because it is usual for cruise ships to make half-day or day excursions, so the attraction must be within easy reach or reachable in a short trip by land.
Taking into account these two variables (characteristics of the port and tourist attraction of the destination) there are three cities that are usually part of the itineraries of large cruise ships: Tangier, Casablanca and Agadir. Let’s look at them separately.
Tangier, in the middle of the Strait of Gibraltar
One of the advantages of Tangier is its strategic location, in the Strait of Gibraltar. This facilitates its inclusion in Mediterranean cruises, especially in the western Mediterranean, sharing itinerary with other ports such as the Spanish ports of Barcelona and Malaga, the Italian ports of Genoa and Civitavecchia, the French port of Marseilles or the British port of the Rock of Gibraltar. In addition, some shipping lines include it in transoceanic routes, departing from South American ports, such as those of Brazil.
On the other hand, Tangier has many tourist attractions: its urban beaches have been renovated and improved in recent years, and it retains a charming medina, where there are also many places evocative of its past as a city with international status in the twentieth century, such as several hotels and the Museum of the American Legation.
Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city
Casablanca is another port that welcomes cruise ships in Morocco. And so it was to be expected, as it is a megacity, the largest in the country, with the largest airport capacity, so it is the main gateway for foreign travelers. It is located on the Atlantic coast, about 330 km south of Tangier, so this destination is also often included in western Mediterranean cruises lasting more than a week, allowing the ship to cross the Strait of Gibraltar and explore other more southerly destinations.
Despite not being such a tourist, historical and monumental city as others, very close to the port is a unique attraction: the great mosque of Hassan II, one of the few that allows entry to non-Muslims.
Agadir, the southernmost port
Of the three ports that welcome cruise ships in Morocco, Agadir is the southernmost. It is also the smallest of the three, but its dimensions are sufficient to accommodate medium and large ships, which usually make crossings of a little more than a week through the Spanish Canary Islands and the Portuguese island of Madeira.
Despite having been devastated by an earthquake in the 1960s, Agadir today offers interesting tourist attractions, such as a large beach and a cable car offering panoramic views of the bay.
However, these three cities may be joined by others in the future, depending on investments in port infrastructure by the Moroccan government and the preferences of shipping companies. And of course, other smaller ports are available for private navigation, as we told you in this other post.
