Bigger than Asilah, and rather less bijou, Larache is a relaxed, faded seaside town, with a good beach and not too many tourists. A halfway house between Spanish and Moroccan urban life, it is a sleepy sort of place, with views over the ocean and the Loukkos estuary, plus the evocatively named, 16th-century Château de la Cigogne, the Fortress of the Stork. It was at Larache that Jean Genet was to find a haven, writing his last novel here.
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Larache information
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Background
Background
Larache (El Arayis in Arabic) is named for the vine arbours of the Beni Arous, a local tribe. The area has one of the longest histories of human occupation in Morocco, going back to Phoenician, Carthaginian and Roman times at the settlement of nearby Lixus. Larache was occupied by the Spanish during 1610-1689 and as part of their Protectorate, from 1911. At that time, the harbour was added and the new town was developed. Larache became the principal port of the Spanish northern zone. Today, the town draws its livelihood from the agro-food industry and fishing, although it has lost its status as a major port. Revenues from migrant workers and the building industry are important, too. Tourism may get a boost here soon as a large resort complex is planned on the Atlantic beach north of the river.
Town is easily reached by the N1 from Tangier or Rabat. The bus station is just off Av Hassan II. Buses from Asilah (1 hr), Ksar el Kebir, Rabat (3½ hrs) and Meknès (5½ hrs). There are grands taxis from Rabat, Asilah and Tangier.
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