Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Larache was occupied by the Spanish for most of the 17th century. The port activities
were limited because of some dangerous sandbars offshore, but the locals made ships for
the corsairs further south. It became the main port of the Spanish protectorate in 1911.
Today the whitewashed houses with blue doors, the church, the market, the hotels and
bars still reveal the strength of the Spanish influence. The town may be as picturesque as
Assilah, but it gets far fewer visitors and has none of the hustle.
All Larachians seem to come out for the
paseo
(evening stroll) in the centre of town.
The cafes and few restaurants fill up as the locals drink coffee, play cards and chew over
the day's events, and by 10pm the streets are again deserted.
The French writer Jean Genet loved the bay of Larache and although he died in France,
he was buried here.
