TANGIER archivos - VOLARE MAGAZINE

At Tangier, mythology is at one’s fingertips. This is particularly true of the Grottes d’Hercule.

According to Greek mythology, it is here that Hercules rested after separating Africa from Europe, and spent the night thinking about how to carry out the last of the labours imposed on him by Olympus, which was to gather golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides. According to legend, the garden was nearby, not far from the site of Lixus at Larache.

The caves are three miles from the city, towards the south on the Atlantic coast. Inhabited for more than 7,000 years, these caves are to be found between the beaches of Achakkar and Sidi Kacem. Historically, they were used as a quarry for millstones, even as far back as the Phoenicians (not far from here are the ruins of Cotta), which explains their unusual appearance – part artificial, part natural – which has been an inspiration for many artists and architects, including Gaudí.

The best-known image is where the sea exits the cave. Some people see in it an inverted map of Africa and others see the profile of the mythical Greek hero.
Take advantage of a stroll along the rocky beaches outside the caves; the contrast of the rocks against the Atlantic Ocean provides an ideal place to take a selfie.

A mythic and cosmopolitan city, Tangier is the capital of the region. Tangier is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities. Founded by the Phoenicians, the city opens like an amphitheater-shaped watchtower onto the Strait of Gibraltar. The city has its own shorelines of beautiful and extended beaches, with wild shoreline on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.
The city has always been a meeting point for intellectuals and artists from all over the world. Through its alleyways have walked global figures from the world of art and music, such as Truman Capote, Delacroix, Matisse, the Rolling Stones, Picasso, Tennessee Williams and Paul Bowles; these are figures whom one could easily imagine encountering in any café of the Petit Socco or the Boulevard Pasteur.
Tangier’s offerings of museums and monuments include the new Museum of Mediterranean Cultures (Dar el Makhzen), the American Legation Museum (TALIM), the Anglican Church of Saint Andrews, the Nahon Synagogue, the Caves of Hercules, and Cape Spartel, among other sites of interest.
In terms of entertainment, the city hosts diverse music festivals, including some of Andalusi, electronic, jazz, and dance, in addition to festivals dedicated to literature and cinema.