Morocco travel guide
Accessible and exotic, Morocco has it all: mountain trekking, Atlantic surf beaches, boutique riads, labyrinthine bazaars and some of North Africa's tastiest food
Barely 20 miles from Europe, Morocco is a world apart. Fast ferries from Spain link a country that is part Arab, part African, with a character all of its own.
Morocco’s cities are the obvious draws. Marrakech and Fez are the places to explore the medieval alleys of ancient medinas, packed with donkeys, traders and the scents of Africa. Casablanca and Rabat are modern with elegant boulevards and a Gallic café culture, while Tangier and Agadir are sophisticated cities where the beach takes centre stage.
Drill down to the smaller towns and Morocco’s heritage is more distinct and accessible. Visit Chefchouan, in the north, where cornflower-blue houses sprawl on a fertile hillside, or the fortified coastal town of Essaouira, once a Portuguese outpost on Atlantic Africa. Inexpensive taxi rides reach stunning highlights, Roman columns preserved by the desert at Volubilis and mud-built forts towering over folding mountain landscapes.
Zoom in closer and be welcomed into village life: ride the waves in surf communities on the sunsoaked southern coast near Agadir, trek to Berber villages huddled against adobe castle walls in the Atlas Mountains and join nomads on camels to cross Saharan dunes.
At every level Moroccans are exceptionally hospitable: this is one country where you are likely to be invited into private homes and plied with sweet tea. Relax and complete your experience with a taste of Morocco; slow-cooked tagine, pastilla (pigeon pastry) or couscous are specialities.
Wanderlust recommends
- Go Trek. The best views are mountainous, in the northern Rif or Atlas ranges. Donkeys generally carry your gear, but camels are best in the desert and to climb Mount Toubkal it’s wise to upgrade to a mule
- Hit the Beach. Kite-surf in the breeze off the fortified city of Essaouira or head south to Agadir for the best surf and the strongest sun
- Play Lawrence of Arabia. Orson Welles’ classic was filmed at the Unesco registered fort at Ait Benhaddou, while more recently scenes in Gladiator were shot in oases close by
- Step Back in Time. The medinas of Fez and Marrakech belong to a different era, where cottage industries – tanneries, potteries and textile factories – co-exist with daily life
- Enjoy the Theatre. As night falls, book a ringside seat at Marrakech’s Djemaa el-Fna. Musicians, snake-charmers, jugglers and acrobats are spectacular side-shows amongst food stalls and street vendors
- Relax in a Riad. The classic Moorish home sets the rooms in galleries around a central courtyard. Many have been restored, providing little oases of tranquillity in the busiest city centres
- Ride a Camel. You don’t have to go far to do this, as freelance camel-owners ply most city beaches and tourist sites, but for a taste of the Sahara on a ‘ship of the desert’ choose M’Hamid or Merzouga
- Drive South. Bandit activity further west make Morocco’s road to Mauritania the favoured route to sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the Moroccan route is tarmac
Wanderlust tips
You will spend at least some time undergoing a hard sell, probably in a carpet shop. Take the time to enjoy your mint tea, watch a carpet being woven and simply play along with the haggling charade. You probably won’t get a bargain, but you just might pick up a rug you really like.
In Fez, hire an official guide for at least one day. They will keep pestering freelance guides and bay and vastly enhance your insight into their World Heritage-listed medina.