Cave of Hercules in Morocco
Tangiers is the largest city in Northern Morocco, sitting on the coast. As a port city there are numerous attractions for tourists on a Morocco holiday. Legend tells us that Tangier was founded by Hercules, but there is really no historical fact to base this legend. About 25 minutes by car is the Gottes D’Hercule, named after the legend of Hercules.
The Grottes D’Hercule or the “Cave of Hercules” is one of the natural wonders of Morocco. No Morocco vacation is complete without a trip to the cave. The cave’s entrance has long been a thing of interest because it looks like a reverse map of Africa. The official location of the cave is in Achakar. In early history the caves were used to remove millstones, which in turn helped create the oil presses. The interior of the cave was used as a home for many early settlers in the region. It had everything they needed including shelter. The last known use of the cave was as a brothel in the early 1900’s.
Before going to the cave for your Morocco walking tour, you should know that Hercules slept in the cave before moving on to one of the 12 tasks he was assigned to do. This particular task was to get golden apples from the Hesperides Garden. The actual location of the garden was said to be in Lixus. The garden was guarded by Nymphs and the 100 headed dragon. Lixus is to the south of Achakar.
If you are under time constraints think about the Grottes D’Hercule as one of the must see locations in Northern Morocco. The cave can be visited in a half day, or if you really want to do it justice, spend the entire day in the area. On your Morocco tour you may see young boys out swimming, but you will understand once you take your trip why you will not find it so welcoming. The young boys are only in the water to prove their courage. The water is rough, rocky, and not particularly safe for most swimmers. However, after your trekking tour there are some lovely beaches in the area. The beaches tend to be very busy during July and August when the waters are warmer.
Before heading to the caves you will need to have five dirhams to get into the caves. The admission is small for such a historical and majestic location. If spelunking through a cave does not fulfil your quest for adventure, the Rif Mountains have plenty of other options. The Rif Mountains can lead to some of the lesser known villages as well as magnificent waterfalls. As the tour operator to connect you with guides that can take you to these majestic cascades.
by Sam Mitchell
