The verdict
Choose Tangier if you value easy arrival, a wide choice of accommodation and the ability to change position on eclipse morning. Treat the city as a mobile base, not a guarantee that one preselected terrace will be clear.
The eastern horizon
At maximum, the Sun is about 38 degrees high and almost due east. Tangier Bay and the Cap Malabata side of the city can offer more useful eastern sightlines than the Atlantic-facing coast around Cap Spartel. A rooftop is only helpful after you verify that buildings, ridges and cranes do not block the east. Scout the exact view at the same clock time on an earlier morning.
Weather and alternatives
Tangier sits between Atlantic and Mediterranean influences. August is normally dry, yet low marine cloud can still form around the Strait of Gibraltar. Forecast skill improves sharply in the final few days, so keep several options rather than making a cloud promise months ahead. A clear inland forecast may justify leaving the immediate coast before dawn.
Getting there
Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport, the rail network and major roads make Tangier the easiest international gateway in the Moroccan path. That convenience also makes it an obvious gathering point. Reserve lodging early, avoid relying on a single taxi at dawn, and identify a legal stopping place before eclipse day. Cap Spartel, Cap Malabata and the airport all have their own entries in the dataset.
Build a fallback
Build a west, city and inland decision tree. If the bay is clear, use a pre-scouted eastern viewpoint. If coastal cloud is persistent, compare observations toward Tetouan, Chefchaouen and the inland corridor before moving. Do not chase a tiny gain in totality duration at the expense of weather, road safety or an unobstructed horizon.
35.7595° N, -5.834° E. Research contact times are approximate, with around 10 seconds uncertainty reported in the original calculation.
Source and uncertainty notes