Nador stands on the shore of Mar Chica, a 115 square kilometre lagoon that is the largest on this coast, with the Rif mountains behind it. It sees a tiny fraction of the foreign visitors who reach Marrakech or Fes, and most of its traffic is Moroccan families returning from Europe, ferry passengers off the Almeria and Motril routes, and people crossing to and from Melilla.
For New Zealand travellers this is a specialist stop rather than a mainstream one. It appears on itineraries that enter Morocco overland from Spain, or that work the Mediterranean coast rather than heading straight south. Even on a fortnight, most trips will not come here, and there is no reason they should.
Where it does feature, the logistics are exactly why a driver helps. The airport is 15 km out, the ferry terminal at Beni Ansar is somewhere else again, the Melilla border queue is unpredictable, and Saidia and Al Hoceima are serious drives along the coast. Every booking is private and the rate is agreed in advance.
Why hire a driver here
- The airport, the ferry berth and the frontier lie in three different directions
- There is no planning a Melilla crossing except against that day's queue
- Families come off the European boats with far more than a taxi holds
- Saidia lies east and Al Hoceima west, and neither is a short run
- Getting inland to Fes means five hours over the Rif through Taza
Included in every booking
- Fuel, tolls and the driver's fee for the agreed route
- Airport, ferry port, border or hotel pickup
- English-speaking drivers as standard on the New Zealand site
- Extra luggage capacity at no charge
- Bottled water and phone charging in the vehicle
