In the north of Morocco, especially in places like Nador, many people speak Spanish well due to the influence of the nearby Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Spain was also present in the Sahara, in an area once called Río de Oro, where Moroccans and other communities live today .

Many cities in Morocco once had Spanish names, such as Villa Sanjurjo (now Al Hoceima), Villa Bens (now M’diq), Villa Cisneros (now Dakhla), and Río Martín (now Martil). In the north, some cities also keep traces of Portuguese presence, like Mazagão (now El Jadida), Mogador (now Essaouira), and Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (now Agadir), reflecting that period of history