Lixus

Lixus is an archaeological site on Morocco’s Atlantic coast near the mouth of the Loukkos River, originally settled in the first millennium BC by Phoenician and later Punic and Roman communities. It is an important regional ruin with visible remains spanning antiquity.

Ruined city walls and structural remains sit on a coastal hill above the river estuary; visitors note exposed foundations, temple and domestic masonry, and mosaic fragments across several terraces. The site is also linked in local tradition to the legend of the Garden of the Hesperides.

The settlement developed under Phoenician and Carthaginian influence and continued under Roman administration through the imperial period, with urban features typical of Mediterranean colonial sites. Archaeological work has exposed multiple occupation layers from antiquity through late antiquity and into the medieval era.

The site lies a few kilometres from the modern town of Larache in the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, overlooking the Loukkos estuary on Morocco’s Atlantic coast.

• Visitor facilities: Access is normally via the nearby town of Larache; the site has limited visitor facilities so plan for basic conditions and bring water.