Phoenecians founded Lixus (ليكسوس) in the 8th, or 7th century BC. The oldest ruins in Lixus are Phoenecian and date from the 8th century BC, but there are also ruins from the Punic (5th-3rd centuries BC), the Mauretanian (2nd century BC-50 AD), the Roman (50 AD-6th century) and Islamic (12th-15th centuries) periods.

Excavations in Lixus commenced in 1948. Excavated buildings include temples, dwellings and an Amphitheater.

The city of Larache, 5 km to the south, is a good place to stay if you want to visit the site. Lixus is on the Atlantic coast, 165 km northeast from Rabat.