Why eat here
- The simplest fish you will eat in Morocco — whole, grilled on coals, eaten with your fingers, on sand a few metres from the Mediterranean. It is the exact antidote to a long medina day.
Mericano Azla
Tetouan
Mericano is a long-running family-run grill on Azla beach, about 15 km south of Tétouan between Martil and Oued Laou. Tables sit on the sand under rush-matting parasols; you pick your fish whole from an ice tray at the front, and it comes back grilled over coals with chermoula, lemon, bread, and salad. No menu cards, no frills — the day's catch and a short drinks list.
Best time
- Summer lunch (1–3pm) with a swim either side. Weekends fill up by noon in August. Evenings are magical in July but wind-dependent — check the forecast.
How to combine
- Morning at Martil beach → taxi south to Azla for a late lunch at Mericano → return via the coastal road for sunset. A classic Tétouan summer Saturday.
Location
Tetouan
FAQs
Menu highlights at Mericano Azla include Sea bream, sea bass, and sardines off the grill; chermoula prawns; calamari a la plancha; tomato-and-onion salad; flatbread; watermelon at the end.
25 minutes by grand taxi from Tétouan (ask for Azla, not Martil). By car, take the coastal road south past Martil — Mericano is on the right, roughly a kilometre past the Azla village turn.
Effectively April to October. Winter hours are unpredictable — the shack closes on bad-weather days and most weekdays. Call ahead November–March.
Fish is sold by weight. Prawns and calamari are separate. Salad and bread are included.
Weekends July–August, yes — call in the morning. Weekdays are walk-in. Arrive by 1pm for lunch to get the best fish selection.
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