Past Europe’s tourists’ gaze are the gleaming waters of Nador. With its beautiful beaches and natural splendor, how long will this hidden gem remain undiscovered by international travelers?

What Brought Me to Nador?

It was the four day weekend of the Prophet’s birthday, and with flights out of Rabat being expensive, I had to get creative with my travel plans. I glanced at ONCF’s railway map and noticed a city called Nador on the Mediterranean coast. Being that I have seen Morocco’s Atlantic coast, I figured a journey to the country’s opposite shores would be an interesting experience.

ONCF Couchette Service

Morocco’s ONCF offers couchette sleeper accommodations on some of their lines, including the Casablanca – Beni Nsar service that stops in Rabat and Nador. 

With no expectations of what was ahead, we boarded our sleeper train, knowing that in the morning we would be in a city we knew nothing about. A three hour delay meant we woke up the next morning traveling through the desert, passing through towns where the railway station was the main attraction. 

Our three hour delay in Taourirt was a minor inconvenience, thanks to our comfortable couchette accommodation and the viennoiseries ONCF served. 

Arriving in Nador

Through a connection of ours, we made friends with a man named Ali. Little did we know that he would be our faithful guide into one of the most amazing parts of Morocco. Our first stop was Nador’s beachfront restaurants. I enjoyed a $13 steak whilst overlooking the Mar Chica and the inscription of “God, Country, and King” on the mountains across the bay.  

A sirloin steak served with shallots over a bed of rice and vegetables at one of Nador’s beachside dining exp hieriences. 

After our lunch, Ali took us into the Cap des Trois Fourches, which juts into the Mediterranean sea. Our beach had massive rocks where we dove into four meters of crystal blue water. A cloudless mid afternoon sky made for a truly breathtaking vista. 

A rock formation alongside crystal blue waters at Charanna Beach at the Cap de Trois Fourches, a half hour drive from Nador.

Melilla

For western tourists, a visit to Nador is not complete without a stop in the neighboring city of Melilla. Although it is surrounded by Morocco, the city is a legacy of the European colonization of North Africa, as it is still occupied by Spain today. For Moroccans, visiting the city requires a Visa, but since we had US passports, we had no trouble entering the city. 

Inside, there was hardly any evidence we were in Africa. The old city dating from the 16th century featured Catholic churches, cobbled streets, and European style homes. 

With Catholic churches, European homes and cobbled streets, one truly forgets they are in North Africa and not in Iberian Spain. 

The old walled city of Melilla positioned alongside the city’s Mediterranean coastline.

Along the city’s coastline were cafes and restaurants offering a variety of Spanish food and tapas. A piece of fried sole and cole slaw was a succulent tapas, and for a late lunch, I enjoyed monkfish over a bed of eggplant, peppers and tomatoes sauteed in a fabulous Spanish olive oil. 

Fried sole and cole slaw Spanish tapas.

Monkfish over eggplant, roasted peppers, and tomatoes sauteed in olive oil.

Beach Splendor on the Cap De Trois Fourches

Our final day in Nador was spent visiting another one of the Cap des Trois Fourches’ stunning beaches. With the cape’s mountains towering over us, we pondered how much longer it takes Ryanair to offer 20 euro flights to the city. 

Bni Chiker beach is under an hour’s drive from Nador’s city center, which offers a pristine Mediterranean beach experience. 

Travel Considerations

If you are thinking of exploring Nador’s fabulous beaches and oceanside restaurants, there are a few considerations to make. I recommend renting a car, since taxis to the different beaches can be expensive. The roads are not the easiest to navigate either. Our friend Ali also warned us that local tourists fill the city in the summer, making it nearly impossible to navigate. Our visit in late September still had fabulous beach weather but with few tourists.

The city of Nador with the Atlas Mountains in the backdrop.

When western tourists plan their vacations to Morocco, places such as Marrakech, Chefchouan and the Sahara desert dominate the conversation. But if you are looking to beat Europe’s tourists to this spectacular country’s undiscovered sites, then make Nador and the Cap De Trois Fourches your next travel destination.