Among Moroccan medinas, Tétouan's is the smallest and the most intact. Around ten hectares of whitewashed houses, wrought-iron windows, and tightly knit artisan quarters sit inside Almohad-era ramparts pierced by seven historic gates. The town was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century by Andalusian refugees who had been expelled from Granada in 1492, and the street grid, craft guilds, and Hispano-Moorish patios still trace that heritage. UNESCO inscribed the medina on the World Heritage List in 1997 for an exceptionally preserved Hispano-Moorish urbanism.

Inside the walls: the long white façade of the Royal Palace on Place Hassan II, the Mellah (former Jewish quarter), covered souks for leather, silver, and wool, and a handful of working funduqs where mules still load. Bab el-Oqla on the east side puts you close to the Ethnographic Museum and Dar Sanaa artisan school; Bab er-Rouah on Place Hassan II gives you the Royal Palace façade first. The Mediterranean coast is around ten kilometres north.

For a first visit, a two-hour licensed guide is worth the cost. The medina is compact but dense, with hidden funduqs and craft workshops most visitors miss. After that, it is small enough to explore on your own. Mornings (9–11) catch the craft workshops at full activity; late afternoon (4–6) gives softer light on the whitewashed walls. Spring (March–May) and early autumn (September–October) are the most comfortable seasons.