
This past month, my new assistant Carin and I explored the Nador region of Morocco. This area on the North Africa coast is not well known, at least in tourism land. When most Westerners think of Morocco we think of Marrakesh, Fes or Casablanca.
Flying Econo…
When RyanAir had a BLACK FRIDAY special in November, if you remember with my Eilat, Israel tickets, I was able to score a βdeal!β β¬9.99/person! So of course, we figured, why not! Worst-case scenario we didnβt make it for whatever reason. We are only out β¬9.99, roughly $11.50 at the time of this writing. I did a little bit of research of the area prior to us taking off but couldnβt really find much. I saw wonderful pictures on Pinterest of Blue Agate crystal gems and beaches, sounds awesome.

Adventures in NADOR
From our departure at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport to our return four days later we had non-stop adventures. Nador is in the process of becoming a tourism destination. However, we hit it in its infancy or one might think those awkward teenage years. Carin and I were possibly the only Americans for a 200-mile radius and stuck out like a sore thumb. We had fun with being a little awkward. I love traveling with her because she challenges my mind and helps me chill out if I get wound up. I hope this blog helps you to know before you go and if you want to, step out of your usual travel expectations because Nador will deliver.β

Our lovely DIGS!




Originally, the trip was a romantic weekend for Jon and I, however, work took him away. So I was lucky to take Carin along, so here we go. I had booked us a weekend in a Riad (this is another name for the palace.) The Riad Dar Nador was within walking distance from the beach and main promenade but it was still about 15 minutes. Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by Amal, a hospitality student who is also a culinary major and does EVERY job at the palace right now! She reminded me of Charlie Brown…

From the main lobby to our rooms all areas were decorated impeccably in the Moroccan style. We were excited to see they also offered a restaurant and it was so nice to schedule tomorrowβs breakfast right away! The menu that was offered (Amal prepared) consisted of several tagines (Carin was quite familiar with these dishes since she had visited Agadir this past December.)

Dar Nador and Amal became our βhome away from homeβ for the next four days. We loved coming in after a day of touring and catching up with her about our adventures. She was excited for us. She is perfect for this industry as her smile is authentic and welcoming.



Book with a travel professional with over 30 years experience!
Crossing borders and Melilla

On our first full day of touring we decided to head over to Spain. We did a little research and found a taxi for about β¬10 to take us to the border, where we would have to walk through the border with our information, fill out papers and have our passports stamped. The ancient Berber town of Melilla has been a shipping and trading port since 700 BC and just about everyone has occupied it, from the Romans to the Ottoman Empire to finally Spain in 1951. It is an autonomous city of Spain and is really coming into its own.
CROSSING THE BORDER IN NADOR

Crossing the border is not for the faint of heart. Once our very nice taxi driver let us out, we walked to the gate and immediately were approached by βhelpers/hustlersβ who were giving customs forms and border police saying βyes, follow him.β So Carin and I allowed this person to guide us through filling out the paperwork, going to the right checkpoints to have our passports checked, then stamped and approved for passage through. Our βguideβ did need to be tipped and it was well worth the 2 Dirham.
Be wary…
After that, we followed the crowd through a βfenced-inβ queuing line to physically walk through the neutral zone to Spain. We soon noticed the line was slowing down to a halt, which confused us because we were being pushed from behind with people passing us, not wanting to be rude, we allowed them to pass. Unfortunately, it became a choke point where ladies had stopped and did not move forward or reverse, they just STOPPED? We could see the border police, but couldnβt see why we were stopped. So there we were people in front, people behind, pushing and shoving; we believe saying, βkeep movingβ or βlet me through.β

After several minutes, this New York girl kinda lost it and with a few choice expletives in a loud commanding voice .
(I am pretty sure they didnβt expect me to say these things.)
I was shocked that the line opened up like the Red Sea and we were all of a sudden allowed to pass freely, with looks of awe and bewilderment.


We approached the Spanish border patrol and had no problem. We showed our passports and were allowed to enter. So we are unsure why these people stopped, it was confusing. If you go through this process while visiting, my advice would be to just keep going, donβt stop and make sure you have your passport stamped and paperwork filled out properly.
I did not take pictures here as this would have been strictly frowned upon and possibly forbidden. Yea, donβt take pictures through a security zone.

β¬ Check out this Wanderlog MAP β¬
Melilla, Spain


Once we crossed the border into Spain we realized we were in a military community. We took a stroll along the beach instead. It was an 80 degree day and blue skies, so these girls had to βhoof itβ to the beach.




Beaches
We all need to clean up the beach! It’s not just here in Morocco but I think everywhere in the world right now. For more information on how you can get involved click HERE. Also another great article was written at It’s a Fish thing about plastic in our oceans, lots of research about what is happening worldwide.




Just like about every other beach in the world, these Spanish beaches were inundated with beach trash. Iβm a nature girl, I canβt let that stuff slide. I commit to βpicking up trash at the beach the first 20-30 minutesβ of arriving. If your heart is moved like thisβ¦ please consider doing your part this summer. It does make a difference.

Touring around Melilla








What to see in Nador


Souk




People of Morocco
Not just in Nador but Carin tells me in her visited parts of Morocco, the people are amazing. Completely bewildered why we are here and inquisitive. We met several people who were happy and welcomed us there. We met a wonderful waiter at the Mercure. Also, Mimon and Billy in the Souk, everyone was helpful and courteous there. Going through customs at the airport in Nador was kinda like being royalty.





They never see Americans and they told us we could return anytime even for free. Haha! Once we engaged in conversations with the English speakers, they all asked, βHow we liked it, if we tried some Moroccan food, what we like about it, and a ton more.β They invited us back anytime.



Now, thatβs not to say occasionally we werenβt greeted by random looks of confusion and a few beggars asking for money. (These were mostly young kids, trying to get a few Dirham) but this happens as in every city, tourist or not. We were not singled out, they did this to locals as well.
GOOD EATS!

One of our favorite afternoon spots to βpopβ into was at CafΓ© H&Z. This lovely little cafΓ© in the heart of Nador offered an eclectic short menu of tacos, hamburgers, pizza, salads and fries. We made swift friends of Zouhir, who spoke perfect English. He was personable, fun and gave us βwhere to shopβ tips. Winner, winner chicken dinner! Go upstairs if you prefer βnon-smokingβ and a beautiful view of a market square and mosque across the street. Oh, and from upstairs you can also see the beach!



We visited a few times and my favorite was the cappuccino with a little chocolate syrup, I think it was Hersheyβs! I had a little freak-out moment. Carinβs was the Moroccan teaβ¦.green tea with mint and a strong sugar punch!


Things to KNOW before you GO!

What to wear/What not to wear in Nador

Mostly an Arabic β Muslim community β dress appropriately, we strongly suggest capris or pants (cover your knees/dresses that are longer/cover your shoulders (try not to have them exposed) just being respectful of their culture and tradition. If you just make an effort it makes us all better Ambassadors.

Comfy walking shoes, you will not want to take a taxi everywhere. Taking a taxi is inexpensive but itβs similar to Rome, Parisβ¦make sure your living will is created.

No ALCOHOL in Nador

In this area of Morocco, you will not find alcohol, wine, or beer freely. Instead Moroccans drink Berber Mint Tea with lots of sugar (or simple syrup.) I will say with my pre-diabetes symptoms I did feel a little buzzed after these lovely drinks. Yum, but kidney failure. HA!

Photos ~ be careful!

Noone wanted to have their business photos taken, be aware of this. I snuck a few but it definitely was not welcomed. Β The only people interested in having their pictures taken were teenage boys. They wanted a little money for it too. We didnβt bite or take that chance.

Know YOUR CURRENCY EXCHANGE

The Moroccan Dirham is approximately 10 to 1 right now. Carin got a few tagines for about β¬4/each and they were homemade big pieces of pottery that were beautiful. This was where we met Mimon and Billy. One of their friends spoke a little English and he assisted us in a huge way. Thinking it was β¬40 worth of Dirham and he said, βno, no, donβt wave that money around in the market.β A huge discover, we found out when they said 40 βEuroβ they really meant Dirham. I suggest offering the smaller amount of Dirham as in 40 Dirham even though they say 40 βEuro.β Β

Speaking Arabic or French?
In this area of Morocco also, they definitely spoke more Arabic than French. I just got back from France, so my French was pretty good, but I found out I still had obstacles. After the second day we realized knowing a little Arabic or using Google Translate worked wonders.
Know your Cell plan
Carin and I purchased daily data plans for our phones. TKS/Telekom has a plan for Morocco even though it is not in the EU. There is a β¬2.95/day 50MB plan that you must sign up for or you wonβt have coverage. It wasn’t very good. We discovered just trying to use Wi-Fi if we didnβt have this plan it was we had a weak signal.

Wrap β up
O.k. So you may decide I absolutely want to see Morocco. If you are in Europe for the next three years, I would say βgo!β See it! Tour the southern or central regions of Morocco sees more tourists at this point. It is geared towards tourists and their expectations.
However, if you like adventure and meeting some really nice people, taste great food come stay in Nador for a short stay. With wicked inexpensive flights for four days, its super affordable and pretty.

Would you like to receive more travel tips and information? Travel special and Deals! Sign up for my MONTHLY NEWSLETTER HERE! I will never spam you!
Itβs always an adventure when you Β©Travel with Wendy!
PIN ME FOR LATER!


Amazing post!
Nice post!!
Beautiful blog post Wendy, full of informations. Knowledgeable. I do really like such a good writing as this one. Keep going. We are waiting your next article.
amazing article thanks for sharing
Thanks π
This is a wonderful article which helped me find this amazing hotel
Thanks For sharing such great information
Amazing blog, Thank you so much for sharing with us
Thank you Andria for reading and joining me here at Travel with Wendy!
Very interesting article & amazing pictures, Thank you for sharing your experience with us
Congratulations on this readable blog entry. Very relevant, since I am reading it in Nador. Like you, I am drinking sweet mint tea. Oh well, I guess it is good to give up alcohol for a day or two!
A very informative read! My wife and I plan on taking a Ferry from Motril (Granada) to Nador. We are debating on having our hotel in Nador, Melilla, or stay in both places. Suggestions? Seems like there is more to see in Melilla versus Nador.
Hi Brett,
Yes stay in Melilla and make Nador a day trip, just be careful at the border (like I said) they are still working out the tourism kinks. I would’ve done this, had I known, but it was an adventure.
Love how the line opened up with just a “few choice words”. Haha too funny.
Well…TWW is still PG π€£