Larache travel guide

Where is Larache?

Atlantic coast · Northern Morocco.

from Marrakech as the crow flies

431 km

people, 2024 census

134,000

About Larache

Larache is the overlooked Atlantic day trip on the northern coast — 90 km (1h30) south of Tangier and just 40 km from Asilah, with which it pairs naturally. The draw for most visitors is Lixus, 3 km north on a headland above the Loukos estuary: a Phoenician and Roman site traditionally tied to the myth of the Garden of the Hesperides, with mosaic floors, a theatre and the best-preserved fish-salting tanks in Morocco — and far fewer visitors than Volubilis, which it predates. The town itself is a weathered Spanish-era port: an ensanche around the Place de la Libération, a harbour promenade and genuinely good, cheap seafood. A day from Asilah or Tangier covers Lixus in the morning and lunch at the port; a night suits travellers who want a quiet, authentic base over a polished resort.

How long to stay

1 night

Nearest airport

Tangier Ibn Battouta (TNG) + 1h30 drive

Getting there

About 1h30 (90 km) south of Tangier on the N1, or 30 min (40 km) south of Asilah

Lixus access

The site is open to visitors; a small caretaker's fee applies; no formal ticketing — best visited in the morning

Best combined with

Asilah (40 km north) and Tangier (90 km north) on a northern Atlantic coastal route

Highlights of Larache

• What are the Lixus ruins and why are they significant?

  Lixus is one of Morocco's oldest inhabited sites: Phoenician presence is documented from at least the 7th century BC, making it among the earliest known settlements on the Atlantic coast of Africa. The Romans developed it as a major city from the 1st century AD, producing garum (fish sauce) for export across the empire — the extensive fish-salting tanks are the best-preserved in Morocco. The site also contains a theatre, a forum and mosaic floors including a celebrated representation of Oceanus. Lixus is 3 km north of Larache on the N1.

• Spanish colonial quarter and Place de la Libération

  The former Plaza de España — now Place de la Libération — is the heart of Larache's protectorate-era ensanche: a circular square ringed by arcaded Spanish facades, with a circular fountain and café terraces. The surrounding streets preserve Spanish colonial architecture in a state of gentle, sun-bleached decay that rewards architectural photography.

• Kebibat beach and Atlantic promenade

  A long, sandy Atlantic beach north of the Loukos estuary, backed by a palm promenade — quiet and local in character, with none of the resort development of Agadir or Mdiq.

• The grave of Jean Genet

  The French writer Jean Genet, who spent his final years in Larache, is buried in the Spanish cemetery above the town — a place of literary pilgrimage for readers of his work. The cemetery overlooks the Atlantic and the Loukos estuary.