Asilah
A blue-and-white Atlantic coastal town 45km south of Tangier — the calmest, most artistic corner of the Moroccan north. The Portuguese ramparts still wrap the medina, and every August the Asilah Cultural Moussem repaints the entire old city with murals that stay up all year. Paradise Beach stretches 4km south of town. Spanish is spoken as commonly as French, a hangover from the protectorate years, and seafood is the reason to linger.
Tours & Experiences
Browse bookable tours, activities, and day trips in Asilah
📍 Points of Interest
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At a Glance
- Pop.
- 31K
- Timezone
- Casablanca
- Dial
- +212
- Emergency
- 190 / 150
A small Atlantic coastal town of ~30,000 people on the northern Moroccan coast, 45 km south of Tangier. The intact Portuguese ramparts, blue-and-white medina, and annual arts moussem make Asilah the most deliberate beach-town Morocco has — small, artistic, and unhurried
The town has changed hands more times than almost any in Morocco: Phoenician trading post, Roman Zilis, medieval Portuguese fort (1471), Spanish enclave during the Protectorate (1912–1956), and finally independent Morocco. The Portuguese ramparts along the ocean still stand — the Atlantic foams through the arches of the Bab el-Bahr gate at high tide
The annual Asilah Cultural Moussem (August, since 1978) is the reason the town's medina walls are covered in murals. Invited international and Moroccan artists paint new murals directly onto the whitewash each summer; within a year the salt air has softened them; the cycle repeats. This gives Asilah a rotating open-air gallery unlike anywhere else in Morocco
Asilah is one of the quietest large-enough-to-visit towns on the Moroccan coast. There are no chain hotels, only two bars in the medina, and nothing much open before 10am. Evenings run late in summer, as they do everywhere on the Spanish-influenced northern Atlantic, but the night-market culture of Marrakech or Tangier simply is not here
Paradise Beach (Plage Paradis), 4 km south of the medina, is one of the best undeveloped beaches on the Moroccan Atlantic — a long arc of white sand backed by dunes, reachable only by a dirt track, grand taxi, or summer shuttle. Expect camels on the sand and a handful of fish-grill cafés at the access point
The town's economy runs on summer holiday visitors (mostly Moroccan families and weekending Europeans from Tangier and Madrid), sardine fishing from the small working port, and a small but serious contemporary-art scene clustered around the Centre Hassan II for Meetings & Cultural Dialogue
Top Sights
Asilah Medina
📌The walled medina is small (you can walk the length in 15 minutes), and almost entirely painted in the blue-and-white palette that runs up this coast. The Portuguese ramparts on the western side open directly onto the Atlantic; the medina interior is a grid of quiet lanes where doors are painted with contrasting trim and the murals from the latest Moussem hang on every other wall. No cars, minimal tourist pressure, and the calmest medina in Morocco by a wide margin.
Bab el-Bahr & the Atlantic Ramparts
🗼The "Gate of the Sea" on the western wall of the medina, and the stretch of Portuguese rampart either side of it. The ramparts are walkable for most of their length (access points at Bab el-Homar and the Raissouni Palace); the stretch facing the Atlantic is where the town watches the sunset. At high tide on a west wind, the Atlantic surges through the gate arch. Free, always open.
Raissouni Palace
🗼The 1909 clifftop palace of Moulay Ahmed el-Raissouni, the Berber chieftain and sometime-bandit who ruled the northern Rif and held the town as his personal seat. The palace is now part of the Hassan II Centre and is usually closed to the public, but you can walk around it on the ramparts and peer in at the courtyard. During the Moussem the ground-floor rooms open for exhibitions. The terrace view over the Atlantic and the town fishing port is remarkable.
Centre Hassan II for Meetings & Cultural Dialogue
🏛️The nerve centre of the Asilah Moussem — a cultural institution founded in 1978 that runs the annual festival and houses permanent exhibition space, a reference library on North African art, and guest accommodations for visiting artists. During the Moussem (August) it runs symposiums, film programmes, and exhibitions; the rest of the year it operates more quietly as a gallery space. Walk in during opening hours; entry is free.
Paradise Beach (Plage Paradis)
🏖️The long white-sand crescent 4 km south of the town — undeveloped except for a handful of grill-and-beer shacks at the access point, and often nearly empty outside July and August. Reachable by grand taxi (15 MAD per seat, 10 minutes) or a walk along the beach-and-headland path. Camels wait at the access for tourist rides (50 MAD for a short ride, typical Moroccan fare). No lifeguards, and the Atlantic surf can be serious — swim with caution.
Asilah Fishing Port
📌The small working port at the northern end of the town is where the day's catch is landed mid-morning and again late afternoon. Grill-restaurants line the quay, cooking whole sea bream, red mullet, sardines, and octopus to order at a fraction of tourist-restaurant prices. Pick your fish from the ice display, agree a weight-based price, and sit outside with a bottle of Oulmès water for lunch. 80–150 MAD per person.
Off the Beaten Path
Fish Lunch at the Port
The grill-restaurants clustered at the entrance to the fishing port will serve you a whole grilled fish, a plate of calamari, a tomato salad, and a bottle of water for 80–150 MAD. The fish is on ice in front of you; you pick, it weighs, it grills. Casa Garcia and Rif are the go-to addresses. Lunch only; closed by 16:00.
Asilah's reason to exist for the casual visitor. A port-side fish lunch here costs half what it does in Tangier and a third of what it does in Essaouira, and the fish was on the boat that morning.
Sunset on the Ramparts
The stretch of Portuguese rampart running south from Bab el-Homar past the Raissouni Palace faces due west. Come 45 minutes before sunset with a bottle of water, walk slowly along the wall, and settle on the stone edge around the Tour de Kamra. The Atlantic reflects the sky; the town calls prayer at precisely the colour-temperature transition. No ticket, no crowd, genuinely beautiful.
Half the Moroccan coastal towns have sunset-worthy walls. Only Asilah combines the walls with the murals and the near-total absence of selfie-stick crowds.
Café Medina — Mint Tea and Mural-Watching
A small ground-floor café on Rue Zaïlachi in the medina, with a handful of outdoor tables under a mural that gets repainted every few Moussem cycles. Mint tea, Turkish coffee, and a plate of pastry cost ~25 MAD. The clientele is half Asilah residents and half long-stay foreign visitors. Stays open into the evening, which is unusual for the town.
One of the few reliably open-late venues in the medina and a natural meeting point for artists during the Moussem. Otherwise, it is exactly what a small-town Moroccan café should be.
The Overnight Stay at a Restored Riad
Asilah has a small cluster of restored medina riads (Dar Tanger, Dar Azaouia, Riad Azaouia) with 4–8 rooms each, central courtyards, and rooftops that look over the ramparts to the Atlantic. Rates run 500–900 MAD per night in shoulder season. An overnight turns Asilah from a day trip into the best night's sleep you will get on the northern coast.
Most people visit Asilah as a 4-hour Tangier day trip. The actual experience starts after the day-trippers leave around 17:00, when the town empties and the evening light catches the ramparts.
Paradise Beach Before 10am
Grand taxi the 4 km south before 10am, walk the length of the beach, swim if the surf allows, and be back in town for a late breakfast. In July and August the shacks at the access point begin cooking by 11am; before that you have the beach nearly to yourself with camels, an empty Atlantic, and the dunes behind.
The same beach at noon in August is a different experience — good but busy. Early morning is the version to tell friends about.
Insider Tips
Climate & Best Time to Go
Monthly climate & crowd levels
Asilah has a mild Atlantic maritime climate — cooler and breezier than Marrakech or Fez year-round, and noticeably wetter in winter than the southern Moroccan coast. Summer highs rarely exceed 28°C thanks to the Atlantic breeze, and the evenings can genuinely require a light layer even in July. Winter is rainy with temperatures in the 10–15°C range; many small hotels and restaurants scale back operations or close outright from late November to March.
Spring
April - May57 to 72°F
14 to 22°C
Comfortable temperatures, the town is waking up from the winter closure, and the light off the Atlantic is excellent. Accommodation is mid-range on price. Wind from the west is consistent; bring a light layer.
Summer
June - September64 to 82°F
18 to 28°C
The high season. Moroccan families arrive in July and August for beach holidays; Tangier weekenders flood in on Fridays. The Moussem arts festival peaks in early-to-mid August and fills every riad. Book accommodation 2+ months ahead for August. Evenings remain breezy; a light jacket is useful.
Autumn
October - November57 to 73°F
14 to 23°C
September remains warm and much quieter post-Moussem. October brings the first Atlantic storms but also clear-light days between them. November is firmly off-season; some restaurants close, but the town is atmospheric and cheap.
Winter
December - March50 to 63°F
10 to 17°C
The quietest time of year. Many riads close for the season; grill-restaurants at the port scale back hours. The rain can be substantial. What remains is a near-empty medina, atmospheric in its own right, at the lowest prices of the year.
Best Time to Visit
Late May to September is the active season. Early August coincides with the Moussem cultural festival — the most interesting time to be there but also the most crowded and expensive. July is the sweet spot: warm but not peak, the Moussem not quite yet, and the town active but not overwhelmed. Late September and early October are the shoulder: quiet, cheap, and still warm enough to swim. Winter is firmly off-season.
Late Spring (April - May)
Crowds: LowThe town is opening back up after winter. Temperatures comfortable, mornings still cool, Atlantic breeze consistent. Accommodation prices moderate. Ideal for people who want the town quiet.
Pros
- + Cool, comfortable weather
- + Low prices
- + Empty medina and beach
- + Good light for photography
Cons
- − Some riads just reopening
- − Swimming still on the cool side
Summer (June - September)
Crowds: High (peak in early August)Peak season. Moroccan families arrive in July; the Moussem runs for 8–10 days in early-to-mid August; Tangier weekenders flood in on Fridays. Book accommodation 2+ months ahead for August. Sea is swimmable from mid-June to early October.
Pros
- + Full town life, all restaurants open
- + Swimmable Atlantic
- + Moussem (if visiting in August)
- + Long evenings on the ramparts
Cons
- − August accommodation is 2–3× shoulder prices
- − Moussem week can be hard to navigate
- − Paradise Beach busy from 11am on weekends
Early Autumn (Late September - October)
Crowds: LowArguably the best single window. September warm and quiet post-Moussem; October cool with the first Atlantic storms between clear days. Prices drop sharply after the first week of September; the town remains alive but notably gentler.
Pros
- + Great weather
- + Low prices
- + Quiet medina
- + Still beach weather early October
Cons
- − October rain becomes real
- − Some Moussem-season restaurants may have cut hours
Winter (November - March)
Crowds: Very lowThe quiet season. Many small riads close; grill-restaurants at the port run reduced hours; some weeks have heavy rain. The town has a peculiar atmosphere in winter — almost theatrical, largely empty. Not for everyone but photogenic, and prices are the lowest of the year.
Pros
- + Cheapest accommodation
- + Almost no tourists
- + Atmospheric empty medina
- + Strong photography light between storms
Cons
- − Many restaurants closed
- − Cold unheated riads
- − Real rain risk
🎉 Festivals & Events
Asilah Cultural Moussem
Early to mid-August (8–10 days)The festival that defines the town. International and Moroccan artists are invited to paint murals on the medina walls across the week; there are parallel programmes of symposiums, poetry readings, film screenings, music concerts, and children's art workshops. Crowds are substantial but the overall atmosphere is less chaotic than a music festival — this is a cultural festival with real programming. Book accommodation 2–3 months ahead.
Moussem of Moulay Ali ben Abdallah
Summer (varies, Islamic calendar)A smaller traditional religious moussem held at a nearby zawiya (shrine). Features horse-and-rifle tbourida performances. A very local event; worth attending if you happen to be in town during.
Tangier American Film Festival (nearby)
Usually OctoberHeld in Tangier (45 km north), this small-but-serious festival often brings visiting cinephiles to base themselves in Asilah for the duration. Not an Asilah festival per se but influences the town's autumn visitor profile.
Safety Breakdown
Moderate
out of 100
Asilah is one of the safest towns in Morocco — small enough that locals know each other, with minimal violent crime and even petty theft rare compared to Tangier or Casablanca. Tourist harassment (unsolicited "guides", carpet-shop steering) exists at a meaningfully lower intensity than in the bigger medinas. Women report far less street harassment than in Marrakech or Tangier. The main genuine hazards are the Atlantic surf at Paradise Beach and the unmarked ramparts at night.
Things to Know
- •The medina is safe at all hours; it is small and well-lit, and the handful of late-open cafés keep the main lanes active
- •Paradise Beach has no lifeguards. The surf can be strong on a west wind; do not swim out past your depth
- •The ramparts have unmarked drops in places — walkable by day, not advisable at night
- •Grand taxi fares to Tangier: 30 MAD per seat (shared) or 150–200 MAD for private hire; agree before getting in
- •The town scales down sharply from mid-November; if you arrive in winter, confirm your accommodation is open and has working heat
- •Pharmacy: the main pharmacy on Avenue Hassan II is reliable. For anything serious, go to Tangier — the nearest proper hospital is Hôpital Mohammed V Tangier
- •Moussem (August) brings a large crowd and the usual festival-scale pickpocketing risk; hold bags close in the medina
Emergency Numbers
Police
19
Gendarmerie (rural/highway)
177
Emergency / Ambulance
15
Fire Brigade
15
Local Police (Asilah)
+212 539-41-70-05
Costs & Currency
Where the money goes
USD per dayBackpacker = hostel dorm + street food + public transit. Mid-range = 3-star hotel + neighbourhood restaurants + transit cards. Luxury = 4/5-star + fine dining + taxis. How we calibrate these numbers →
Quick cost estimate
Customize per category →Estimates based on regional averages. Flight prices vary by season and airline.
budget
$25-40
Guesthouse or budget hotel in the new town, port fish lunch, medina cafés, walking everywhere, no paid attractions
mid-range
$60-110
Restored medina riad, a proper port seafood lunch, one nicer dinner, grand taxi to Paradise Beach
luxury
$180+
Top-tier restored riad (Dar Tanger suite), private fish dinner on the ramparts, full-day private driver to Tetouan or Chefchaouen
Typical Costs
| Item | Local | USD |
|---|---|---|
| AccommodationBudget guesthouse in the new town | 150–280 MAD | $15–28 |
| AccommodationSmall 2-star hotel | 250–400 MAD | $25–40 |
| AccommodationRestored medina riad (mid-range) | 500–850 MAD | $50–85 |
| AccommodationPremium restored riad (suite) | 1,100–2,000 MAD | $110–200 |
| FoodPort fish grill lunch (whole fish, salad, bread) | 80–150 MAD | $8–15 |
| FoodMedina café mint tea + pastry | 15–30 MAD | $1.50–3 |
| FoodMid-range dinner (riad restaurant, tagine + dessert) | 130–220 MAD | $13–22 |
| FoodMoroccan beer (Flag Spéciale, in a riad bar) | 30–45 MAD | $3–4.50 |
| FoodFresh orange juice (new town vendor) | 5–8 MAD | $0.50–0.80 |
| TransportPetit taxi (Asilah station to medina) | 15–20 MAD | $1.50–2 |
| TransportGrand taxi seat to Tangier | 30 MAD | $3 |
| TransportGrand taxi to Paradise Beach (per seat) | 15 MAD | $1.50 |
| TransportTrain to Rabat | 90–130 MAD | $9–13 |
| AttractionCentre Hassan II exhibitions | 0 MAD | Free |
| AttractionCamel ride at Paradise Beach | 50–80 MAD | $5–8 |
💡 Money-Saving Tips
- •Port fish lunch is Asilah's best value — a whole grilled sea bream costs half what the same fish costs in Tangier
- •The medina is free to wander, all rampart walks are free, and the town's main "attractions" (the murals, the ramparts, the sunset) have no ticket
- •Shared grand taxi to Tangier is 30 MAD per seat; a private hire is 200 MAD. The train is 30 MAD and more reliable
- •Paradise Beach shuttle in summer is 10 MAD each way — cheaper than a grand taxi if you don't mind the wait
- •Moussem (August) triples accommodation prices. If arts are not your priority, visit in July or September for the best price/experience ratio
- •Mint tea at a small café costs 8–12 MAD; in a riad restaurant, 25–35 MAD for the same pot
Moroccan Dirham (MAD / DH)
Code: MAD
1 USD ≈ 10 MAD; 1 EUR ≈ 10.8 MAD. Asilah has 3 bank branches with ATMs (Attijariwafa, Banque Populaire, Crédit du Maroc) on Avenue Hassan II — these are the safest exchange option. The medina has no ATM; carry enough cash for the day. Tangier airport has exchange counters with fair rates for arrivals. Street exchange is not worth the risk in a town this small where counterfeiting is rare but easily concealed.
Payment Methods
Cash dominates. Most riads and mid-range restaurants accept Visa and Mastercard but many small shops, port grills, and grand taxis do not. Withdraw cash on arrival in the ville nouvelle. Contactless is rare outside the larger riads.
Tipping Guide
10% is standard; 15% for exceptional service. Leave in cash.
Round up to the nearest 5 MAD.
20–50 MAD per night for housekeeping in a small restored riad; 30–50 MAD per bag for a porter.
Round up to the nearest 5 MAD. Not strictly expected in Asilah.
80–150 MAD per person for a half-day walking tour; often unofficial in Asilah, quality varies.
Much less prevalent than in Marrakech. Small coins (2–5 MAD) for someone who holds a door or points you to a shop. Do not feel pressured; a polite "la shokran" (no thank you) is fine.
How to Get There
✈️ Airports
Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport(TNG)
30 km north of AsilahTangier airport is the practical gateway. Grand taxi from the airport direct to Asilah: 250–400 MAD (negotiate firmly before boarding). Alternatively: airport shuttle or petit taxi to Tangier Ville station (150 MAD), then ONCF train to Asilah (30 MAD, 40 min). Uber does not operate in the region. Ryanair, easyJet, and TAP serve European cities from TNG.
✈️ Search flights to TNG🚆 Rail Stations
Asilah Station
A small ONCF station 3 km southeast of the medina (petit taxi 15–20 MAD). Direct services to Tangier (40 min, 30 MAD), Rabat (2.5 hr, 100 MAD), Casablanca (3.5 hr via Al Boraq from Tangier), Fez (5 hr with a change). Al Boraq high-speed does not stop in Asilah — change at Tangier.
🚌 Bus Terminals
Asilah Gare Routière
Small regional bus station by the train station. CTM and Supratours coaches to Chefchaouen, Tetouan, Rabat, and Casablanca. Book on ctm.ma for the reliable services; avoid the unbranded private buses which are older and not air-conditioned.
Getting Around
Asilah is a walking town — the medina is small, and everything visitor-relevant (ramparts, Raissouni Palace, port, main restaurants) is within 10 minutes on foot from any medina riad. The only motorised transit most visitors need is the grand taxi out to Paradise Beach or to Tangier airport. The train station is 3 km from the medina and is connected by petit taxi (10–20 MAD).
Walking
FreeThe entire visitor-relevant town is walkable in 15 minutes end to end. The medina is car-free; the surrounding ville nouvelle has wide, flat streets and functional pavements. No transit is required within the town proper.
Best for: Everything in town
Petit Taxi (Red in Asilah)
10–30 MAD (~$1–3)Asilah's petit taxis are red (each Moroccan city has its own colour). They meter short trips within the town — typical fare 10–25 MAD. Useful for the train station and for bag transport to a medina riad.
Best for: Train station transfers, arrivals with luggage
Grand Taxi (Shared)
15–80 MAD per seatWhite Mercedes sedans running fixed routes. Asilah–Tangier is the main one (30 MAD per seat, 40 minutes, shared up to 6). Asilah–Paradise Beach is a short grand-taxi hop (15 MAD per seat in summer). Longer routes to Larache, Tetouan, and Chefchaouen run from the gare routière.
Best for: Tangier, Paradise Beach, regional day trips
CTM & Supratours Coaches
40–180 MADLong-distance coaches to Chefchaouen, Tetouan, Rabat, and Casablanca depart from the small gare routière near the train station. Book on ctm.ma in advance; summer-weekend services fill.
Best for: Long-distance onward travel to inland Morocco
🚶 Walkability
One of the most walkable towns in Morocco — compact, car-free medina, flat terrain, wide pavements in the ville nouvelle. The only destinations within 5 km that require transit are Paradise Beach and the Asilah train station.
Travel Connections
Tangier
The northern tip of Africa — medina shaped by the Beat Generation, modern marina, and the gateway to the Strait of Gibraltar. Asilah is the calmer day-trip base for Tangier, not the other way around.
Chefchaouen
The blue-painted Rif mountain town — small, slow, photographic, and cooler than the coast in summer. Often paired with Asilah in a 5–7 day northern Morocco loop.
Larache & Lixus
A Spanish-colonial port town with a Cervantes connection, plus the Roman ruins of Lixus on a hill overlooking the river — one of the oldest Roman sites in Morocco. Half-day excursion from Asilah.
Tetouan
A UNESCO-listed Andalusian-Moroccan medina in a valley between the Rif and the Mediterranean. Much less visited than Fez or Chefchaouen; the craft traditions are strong.
Rabat
Morocco's capital — UNESCO-listed historic quarter, Kasbah des Oudayas, Hassan Tower complex. The calm, orderly Morocco most visitors miss. Paired with Asilah in north–south circuits.
Casablanca
Morocco's commercial capital — Hassan II Mosque, Art Deco Ville Nouvelle, the Atlantic Corniche. Al Boraq from Tangier makes it a feasible day trip even from Asilah.
Entry Requirements
Morocco admits US, UK, EU, Canadian, Australian, and Japanese passport holders visa-free for 90 days. There is no separate entry process for Asilah; travellers typically enter through Tangier, Casablanca, or Rabat airports. The northern Moroccan land border with Spanish enclaves (Ceuta, Melilla) is also an option for those travelling overland — Ceuta is 3 hours north of Asilah.
Entry Requirements by Nationality
| Nationality | Visa Required | Max Stay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Citizens | Visa-free | 90 days | No visa required. Immigration card on arrival flight. Have your first accommodation address accessible. |
| UK Citizens | Visa-free | 90 days | No visa required; bilateral arrangement unaffected by Brexit. |
| EU Citizens | Visa-free | 90 days | No visa required. Morocco is not Schengen — this 90 days is independent of any Schengen count. |
| Canadian Citizens | Visa-free | 90 days | No visa required; same conditions as US. |
| Australian Citizens | Visa-free | 90 days | No visa required. Carry travel insurance for medical peace of mind. |
Visa-Free Entry
Tips
- •The Ceuta land border (3 hours north via Tetouan) is an option for those entering from Spain — expect 2–4 hours queuing at the border and carry passport plus car documents if driving
- •Ferries from Tarifa (Spain) to Tangier Med are 35 minutes and arrive efficiently — Asilah is 1.5 hours south of Tangier Med by car
- •If flying into Tangier (TNG), factor 30 km / 30-40 min to Asilah; grand taxi fares to the airport should be 250–350 MAD agreed in advance
- •Pack layers — Atlantic evenings in Asilah are cool even in July
Shopping
Asilah's shopping is modest and pleasant — there is no souk gauntlet and no high-pressure carpet scene. What the town has instead is contemporary Moroccan art (paintings, prints, ceramics) in a handful of serious galleries, craft work from the Rif and northern Morocco, and modest but genuine antique pieces. The prices are reasonable; the experience of buying is radically less stressful than in Fez or Marrakech.
Rue Zaïlachi & Rue Ibn Khaldoun (Medina)
gallery and craft streetThe medina's twin commercial lanes. A dozen small galleries and studios sell paintings from the Moussem artists (50–3,000 MAD depending on size and reputation), Moroccan modernist prints, ceramics from Safi and Fez, and small antique pieces. Prices are more fixed and negotiable than in larger cities; a 50 MAD painting is a small print, a 2,000 MAD piece is a serious canvas.
Known for: Moussem artist paintings, Moroccan modernist prints, small-format ceramics
Centre Hassan II Shop
cultural-institution gift shopThe gift shop of the Centre Hassan II sells catalogues of past Moussem editions, prints of works exhibited over the years, and posters from the festival archive. A unique and meaningful souvenir of the town; prices are fixed and fair.
Known for: Moussem catalogues, prints, festival posters
Weekly Thursday Market
regional farmers' marketThe Thursday market in the new town is a working regional market rather than a tourist event — produce from Rif farms, local cheeses (particularly the small goat cheeses from the surrounding hills), olives and olive oil, and inexpensive household goods. Useful for stocking up on food for a riad kitchen or for a Paradise Beach picnic.
Known for: Rif produce, goat cheese, olives, oil
🎁 Unique Souvenirs to Look For
- •Small painting from a Moussem artist — 200–1,500 MAD for a print, 1,500–5,000 MAD for a canvas, signed and dated
- •Framed Moussem poster — historical editions are particularly sought; 200–600 MAD at the Centre Hassan II
- •Rif goat cheese and olive oil from the Thursday market — packs of 5–6 goat cheeses travel well, 80–150 MAD
- •Hand-embroidered linens from the small workshops on Rue Ibn Khaldoun — 150–400 MAD for a good tablecloth
- •Silver filigree jewellery from the northern Moroccan tradition — smaller and more restrained than Rabati work; 150–600 MAD
Language & Phrases
Asilah is linguistically the most interesting small town in Morocco. Darija (Moroccan Arabic) dominates; French is the second language for business and education. But unlike the rest of Morocco, Spanish is also widely understood here — a legacy of the Spanish Protectorate over northern Morocco (1912–1956) — and is often the easier second language for visitors from Spain, Latin America, or Spanish-speaking US regions. English is spoken at most riads but drops off quickly in restaurants and shops.
| English | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (informal, Darija) | La bes | lah-BESS |
| Hello (formal, Darija) | Salam alaykoum | sah-LAM ah-LAY-koom |
| Response to greeting | Alaykoum salam | ah-LAY-koom sah-LAM |
| Thank you (Darija) | Shokran | shoh-KRAHN |
| Hello (Spanish — widely understood) | Hola / Buenos días | OH-lah / BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs |
| Yes / No | Iyeh / La | ee-YEH / LAH |
| How much? | Bchhal? | buh-SHHAHL |
| Too expensive | Ghali bzzaf | GAH-lee buh-ZZAHF |
| Please (Darija) | Afak | ah-FAHK |
| Where is...? | Fin kayn...? | FEEN KYN |
| Good / Great | Mezyan | meh-ZYAHN |
| Goodbye | Bslama | buh-SLAH-mah |
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