Asilah

These two towns on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, just outside Tangier, are the focus of much of the best development on-going in Northern Morocco. This area was previously controlled by Spain and both towns have buildings that reflect this colonial inheritance. Before then both towns were important trading bases for Phoenician merchants dealing in commodities gathered from throughout Africa as well as the locally produced high quality salt.

Asilah is a small fishing village, much like the popular Essaouira in the south of Morocco, with a Medina next to the sea and a strong fishing tradition. Like Essaouira it has become the home for many European artists who have decorated their houses in the Medina with examples of their work.

Much of the development is taking place to the north of Asilah on the stretch of coastline between Tangier and Asilah. The toll road to Rabat and Casablanca has taken much of the heavy traffic from the picturesque old coast road and this now winds past a selection of extremely high quality resorts being developed by some of the world’s most prestigious developers. Every August the town plays host to a culture festival that attracts over 30,000 visitors and includes performances from some of the biggest names in music and art. Thanks to the influence of the first festival in 1978 it has meant that now the historic buildings are restored and the entire town exudes an air of calm and cleanliness.

View Asilah Property Here

A further 30km down the coast is the former Spanish seaside town of Larache. Much of the town was built by the Spanish during their period of occupation and consequently it exudes a distinctly Hispanic air. The art deco hotels arranged around the main square, Place de la Liberation, give an indication of times past and unlike many older Moroccan cities there is no developed Medina area in the town.

Larache has long been popular with Moroccans living in countries overseas who return each summer to enjoy the beaches and catch up with family matters. This cosmopolitan town is also unusual in that a large Christian church (which is itself an interesting mix of Moroccan and western architecture) dominates one of the main streets leading from the central square. Just outside the town are the picturesque remains of Lixus, which was one of the main cities of the Roman province of Mauretania Tingitana and today the central acropolis gives a clear picture of how people lived thousands of years ago. Also visible on the road into town are the remains of the garum factories on which much of the town’s historical reputation is based. Although rarely used today garum (a salty mix of anchovies’ intestines) was a vital ingredient in much Roman cookery and used to add flavour (or mask it depending on the dish!)

Thanks largely to these remains and the outstanding natural beauty of the area an area outside Larache has been designated a special touristic zone and part of the Plan Azur scheme. This means that a large resort is being constructed which will feature two golf courses, several four and five star hotels, villas and apartments and a marina for 700 boats. This €1 billion, 4,620,000 sqm real estate project, earmarked for completion in 2011 is set to become one of the most “upmarket” of the Plan Azur areas due to the extremely low density (c.15%) and the presence of mature Mediterranean pines and other trees.

View Asilah Property Here