Do people speak Spanish in Tangier?

Yes, Spanish is widely spoken in Tangier and across northern Morocco, a legacy of the Spanish protectorate and the region’s close ties to nearby Spain. Many people in Tangier, Tetouan and Chefchaouen speak Spanish as well as, or instead of, French, so it’s genuinely useful in the north.

This makes the north a little different from the rest of Morocco, where French is the dominant second language. If you speak Spanish, you’ll find it opens doors in shops, cafés and with taxi drivers around Tangier.

Elsewhere in the country — Marrakech, Fes, the south — French is far more useful than Spanish. But for a northern-focused trip arriving from Spain, Spanish is a real asset.