La Tangerina
Tangier, Morocco
Tangier’s most intimate kasbah hideaway, with a distinct whiff of the town’s Belle Epoque and an amazing roof terrace looking across the sea to Spain
La Tangerina grabs an unforgettable location at the highest point
of Tangier’s hilltop kasbah, at the edge of the cliff which
was its defensive raison d’être. From its airy
roof terrace you look out across its old town and harbour to the
Atlantic and the southern Spanish coast. Farida and her husband
Jürgen couldn’t have found a better spot on which to
create the small guesthouse of their dreams after returning to the
town of her birth.
Jürgen oversaw restoration with a craftsman’s eye for
detail and a brief of "top spec everything". They then trawled the
antique shops of the town for memorabilia from the town’s
Belle Epoque, a time when the international glitterati made Tangier
their own, searching out old suitcases and trunks, mirrors and
dressers, lamps and radios. The house now evokes the times of
Bowles and Waugh, and remains true to the spirit of that
cosmopolitan past: you eat at one table with your hosts and with
guests from the world over. Relaxed, intimate and comfortable, La
Tangerina scores high on all counts.
Highs
- Bedrooms get the mix just right between solid comfort and local flavour, with a predominance of tangerine in colour schemes
- Jürgen and Farida greet guests in an unaffected, easy manner. They really make you feel chez toi
- La Tangerina’s position couldn’t be better. There’s no passing traffic, the views are heart-stopping and you’re at the heart of the kasbah
- The communal spaces – sitting room, dining room, basement hammam – all share the same intimate, cared-for vibe that permeates the rest of the house
Lows
- You can't park right outside the house, but you can drive there and drop off your suitcases, then park 75m away
- Expect some hassle in the Tangier souks. But armed with patience, a sense of humour and a few euros, you should dig out some great ethno-bargains
- This is the sort of place where you are obliged to be sociable, with life being shared with fellow guests and the young family of your hosts, family style
- Some rooms look a little spartan at first, but the subtle detail will win you over
