Things to Do in Marina Smir: Beach, Boats and Evenings

From the complex, the beach is a three-minute walk away. The sand is fine and the sea generally calm, which suits children well. Morning and late afternoon are the most pleasant times, before the heat and after the day visitors leave.

The Marina Smir marina, fifty metres from the apartment, is the natural meeting point after the beach. The quays line up cafés and restaurants overlooking the boats: Extrablatt for a coffee or dinner facing the sea, Garden Bar for Spanish-inspired cooking, Mora & Mess for a relaxed atmosphere. The bar of Hotel Marina Smir, with its terrace over the sea, serves cocktails and tapas until midnight.

For a livelier evening, two addresses a few minutes away by car: Sofitel Tamuda Bay in M’diq, with its lounge and beach club, and Banyan Tree Tamuda Bay, with the Buddha Bar on the rooftop until 1am. In summer, the marina stays lively late, whether with family or friends.

The marina is the most convenient departure point in northern Morocco: a few minutes by boat reach the coves of Cabo Negro and Martil, which are inaccessible by road. Boats with a skipper are hired by the hour or half-day, from around 1,500 MAD an hour for a small family boat, no licence needed. In July and August, book at least 48 hours ahead.

Jet skiing takes place between Marina Smir and Kabila, with supervised half-hour sessions from around 700 MAD. Smir Park, next to the complex, also offers diving, quad biking and horse riding, and organises day excursions to Tangier, Tétouan and Chefchaouen.

For a change of scenery, Tamuda Bay lines up its beaches: Kabila and its marina, Cabo Negro and its beach clubs, Martil and its long seafront. Further east, Azla, Amsa and above all Oued Laou, around 45 minutes by road, offer a wilder coastline with turquoise water and a promenade lined with cafés.

About ten minutes away by car, M’diq offers a long seafront promenade, a fishing port, cafés and fish restaurants. It is also the most convenient town for groceries, the pharmacy and everyday errands.

Tétouan, around twenty-five minutes away by car, is worth a half-day visit: its medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with white alleyways, souks and Andalusian-influenced architecture. The archaeological museum and the old Spanish quarter round out the visit.

Chefchaouen, the blue city of the Rif, makes a good day trip: allow around two hours’ drive each way. Walkers can continue to the Akchour waterfalls, in Talassemtane National Park, half an hour from Chefchaouen: a hike of around ten kilometres there and back, best planned as a full day with an early start. Ceuta, a Spanish enclave, is about twenty minutes from the apartment to the border; a valid passport is needed. Golfers have the Royal Golf de Cabo Negro a few minutes away.

The advantage of an apartment three minutes from the beach is also being able to go back for lunch, nap through the hottest hours and head out again as the light softens. Our guests’ best memories often come from these unplanned days.