Food in Martil

Martil is the seaside town of Tetouan, a Mediterranean beach resort at the mouth of the Martil river where the people of the historic northern city come to swim, stroll and eat through the summer. Once the port of Tetouan, it has a long crescent of sandy beach, a lively corniche, and a food culture that blends the refined Andalusian cooking of Tetouan with the fresh seafood of the Mediterranean and the Spanish influence that runs strong all along this coast. The result is one of the more sophisticated small-town food scenes in northern Morocco.

Tetouan, just inland, is famous for having preserved the most Andalusian of Moroccan cuisines -- a legacy of the Muslim and Jewish families who settled here after fleeing Spain -- and Martil shares in that heritage. Alongside grilled and fried Mediterranean fish, you find delicate pastries, elaborate tagines, and dishes that carry a distinct Spanish-Andalusian accent, from seafood preparations to sweets. The fishing brings in sea bream, sardines, anchovies, prawns and calamari, cooked simply at seafront terraces, while the town's cafes reflect the relaxed paseo culture of the north, where evenings are for strolling the corniche and eating late.

For the traveller, Martil is an easy, pleasant complement to a visit to Tetouan's remarkable UNESCO-listed medina. In summer it fills with Moroccan holidaymakers and the beachfront comes alive; off-season it is quieter but still serves excellent seafood and northern cooking. Eat grilled fish on the corniche, try the Andalusian-inflected specialties of the Tetouan region, and finish with the fine pastries the north does so well, and you taste the distinctive food culture of Morocco's Mediterranean northwest.

Signature dishes of Martil

These are the dishes that define Martil's food identity -- the plates that locals are proud of and visitors should seek out.

Where to eat in Martil

Every city has its food neighbourhoods -- the streets, quarters and markets where locals eat and where you should too.

The cooking identity of Martil

Martil cooks the refined Mediterranean cuisine of the Tetouan region, blended with Spanish-Andalusian influence and fresh coastal seafood. Tetouan preserves the most Andalusian of Moroccan cooking, a legacy of families who settled here from Spain, and Martil shares its delicate tagines, elaborate sweets and Spanish-accented seafood preparations. From the Mediterranean come sea bream, sardines, anchovies, prawns and calamari, grilled or fried simply so their freshness leads, seasoned with cumin, garlic and lemon. The north's fondness for bissara, fine pastries and a relaxed cafe-and-paseo culture rounds it out. It is a more refined, Andalusian coastal cooking than the Moroccan norm, distinctive to this Mediterranean northwest.

Market guide

Martil's food supply centres on the sea and the Tetouan region's produce. The central market and the fishing landings bring in fresh Mediterranean catch -- sea bream, sardines, anchovies, prawns and calamari -- along with olives, produce, spices and the ingredients of northern cooking. For pastries and sweets, the town and nearby Tetouan are renowned for fine, Andalusian-influenced confections, well worth seeking out. The corniche fills with food stalls and terraces in summer. Being close to Tetouan and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, the area has a cosmopolitan northern character. Prices are reasonable outside peak summer; carry cash, though the busier town centre has more card acceptance than remote areas.

Best time to visit for food

June to September for the beach season and liveliest corniche; spring and autumn are mild and quieter, with seafood landed year-round.

Food tips for Martil

• Eat grilled fish on the corniche in the evening, when the beachfront is at its liveliest.
• Try the refined Tetouan-region tagines and Andalusian-influenced specialties.
• Seek out the north's fine pastries and sweets, a regional strength.
• Combine Martil with Tetouan's remarkable UNESCO-listed medina just inland.
• Visit in summer for the full beach-resort atmosphere, or off-season for a quieter town and honest seafood.
• Explore the wider northern coast, including nearby beaches and the Spanish influence all along it.