Grottes d'Hercule

About fifteen kilometres west of Tangier, on the road to Cape Spartel, these natural caves opening onto the Atlantic have been inhabited since the Neolithic period, nearly 8,000 years ago: polished tools, pottery and bones bear witness to this ancient occupation. Legend attributes their hollowing to Hercules, who rested here after separating Europe from Africa by opening the Strait of Gibraltar. Their most famous opening, shaped like a map of the African continent, frames the crashing waves and makes it one of Morocco's most photographed spots. A recognised tourist site since the 1920s, the caves remain a must-see walk near Tangier.