Al-Andalus in Morocco
This is for you if Granada, Córdoba or your own family name led you here. When Muslim and Jewish Andalusis left Spain, many rebuilt their lives in northern Morocco, and their quarters, houses and music are still there. The short answer: Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Fes and Rabat in 7 to 9 days, starting from Tangier or the ferry from Tarifa.
The story in two crossings
The ties are older than 1492. Fes itself was settled in the 9th century partly by refugees from an uprising in Córdoba, and the east bank of the river is still called the Andalusian quarter, with its Andalusian Mosque traditionally dated to 859.
Then came two waves. The first followed the Granada War, which ended in 1492. Chefchaouen, founded in 1471 as a small kasbah by Ali ibn Rashid, took in Andalusi families between 1492 and 1609. Tetouan was rebuilt by people driven out of al-Andalus, and UNESCO describes its medina as strongly marked by Andalusian civilisation. The second wave was the expulsion of the Moriscos, decreed by Philip III in 1609 and carried out until 1614. About 2,000 refugees from Hornachos, near Badajoz, settled around Salé and took over Rabat's Kasbah of the Oudayas.
The trip shape
Tangier → Tetouan → Chefchaouen → Fes → Rabat · 7–9 days
Start in Tangier (by plane or the one-hour ferry from Tarifa) and finish in Rabat, from where the Al Boraq train takes you back north.
Day by day
- Day 1 · TangierArrive by ferry or plane. Evening in the kasbah.
- Days 2–3 · TetouanThe white medina, a UNESCO site since 1997, and the city's Andalusian music tradition.
- Days 4–5 · ChefchaouenThe 1471 kasbah, the blue lanes and the Rif hills around them.
- Days 6–7 · FesThe Andalusian quarter on the river's east bank, the Qarawiyyin quarter facing it, the Marinid madrasas.
- Days 8–9 · RabatThe Kasbah of the Oudayas, its Almohad gate, the Andalusian Garden and mint tea at the Café Maure above the river.
Key dates
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 789–809 | Fes founded; among its first people, refugees from Córdoba |
| c. 859 | Andalusian Mosque of Fes, by tradition |
| 1150–51 | Almohads build the Kasbah of the Oudayas in Rabat |
| 1471 | Chefchaouen founded by Ali ibn Rashid |
| 1482–1492 | Granada War; the last Muslim kingdom of al-Andalus falls |
| 1609–1614 | Expulsion of the Moriscos from Spain; refugees settle in Rabat, Salé and Tetouan |
| 1915–1918 | The Andalusian Garden in the Oudayas is laid out, in Andalusian style, under the French protectorate |
Listen for al-Ala
Al-Ala is Morocco's form of Andalusi classical music. Eleven nubas, long suites built on a set of modes, have survived here, and a full nuba is never played in one sitting. Its main centres include Fes, Tetouan, Rabat, Salé, Meknes, Tangier and Chefchaouen.
Fes also hosts the Festival of World Sacred Music each year; the 2026 edition opened on 5 June. Ask your riad about concerts, and listen at weddings and religious holidays, when orchestras are booked.
The cities on this route
What people ask
Where did the Moriscos go in Morocco?
Rabat, Salé and Tetouan took many of them. Refugees from Hornachos settled in the Kasbah of the Oudayas in Rabat.
Is the Andalusian Garden in Rabat from al-Andalus?
No. It was laid out between 1915 and 1918 under the French protectorate, in an Andalusian style, inside a 12th-century Almohad kasbah.
Which city is the most Andalusian?
Tetouan, by UNESCO's own description: its medina shows the strong influence of Andalusian civilisation at the end of the Middle Ages.
Was Chefchaouen founded by Andalusians?
It was founded in 1471 by Ali ibn Rashid as a base against the Portuguese. Andalusi families came after 1492.
Where can I hear Andalusian music?
Al-Ala is played in Fes, Tetouan, Rabat, Salé and Chefchaouen, among others. Ask your riad about concerts; weddings and religious holidays are when it is played most.
How many days do I need?
Seven to nine: one in Tangier, two each in Tetouan, Chefchaouen and Fes, one or two in Rabat.
Can I start from Spain?
Yes. The ferry from Tarifa to Tangier takes about an hour. See Spain and Morocco.
Is there an Arabic version of this route?
Yes, written for Arabic readers: الأندلس في المغرب.
Next step
Sources · checked 2026-11-14
- Fes el Bali (Córdoba refugees, Andalusian Mosque), Wikipedia
- Medina of Tétouan, UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Chefchaouen (founding 1471, Andalusi families), Wikipedia
- Expulsion of the Moriscos, Wikipedia
- Kasbah of the Udayas, Wikipedia
- List of World Heritage Sites in Morocco, Wikipedia
- Andalusi classical music (al-Ala), Wikipedia
- 29th Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, maroc.ma
- Tarifa to Tangier ferry, Ferryhopper
Other ways in
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