Morocco, a North African country bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, is distinguished by its Berber, Arabian and European cultural influences. Marrakesh’s medina, a mazelike medieval quarter, offers entertainment in its Djemaa el-Fna square and souks (marketplaces) selling ceramics, jewelry and metal lanterns. The capital Rabat’s Kasbah of the Udayas is a 12th-century royal fort overlooking the water. In Fez, you can find Chouara Tannery which is one of the three tanneries in the city of Fez, Morocco. Built in the 11th century, it is the largest tannery in the city and the oldest tannery in the world. It is located in the Fes el Bali, the oldest medina quarter of the city, near the Saffarin Madrasa along the river.
Up north you can visit the world famous Blue City – Blue Pearl of Morocco – Chefchaouen – which is known for the striking, blue-washed buildings of its old town. Leather and weaving workshops line its steep cobbled lanes. In the shady main square of Place Outa el Hammam is the red-walled Kasbah, a 15th-century fortress and dungeon, and Chefchouen Ethnographic Museum. The octagonal minaret of the Great Mosque rises nearby, you can hike to the Mosque from the east gate of Medina and get beautiful view of the whole city tucked under the Rif Mountains. There are several theories as to why the walls were painted blue. One popular theory is that the blue keeps mosquitos away, another is that Jews introduced the blue when they took refuge from Hitler in the 1930s. The blue is said to symbolize the sky and heaven, and serve as a reminder to lead a spiritual life. Chefchaouen is a popular shopping destination as well, as it offers many native handicrafts that are not available elsewhere in Morocco, such as wool garments and woven blankets. The goat cheese native to the area is also popular with tourists.
One of my favorite places in Morocco is Erg Chebbi, one of Morocco’s several ergs – large seas of dunes formed by wind-blown sand. There are several other ergs such as Erg Chigaga near M’hamid. Technically all these ergs are within an area of semi-arid Pre-Saharan Steppes and not part of the Sahara desert which lies some distance to the south. To see these, you need to travel all the way southeast, close to the border with Algeria, to the small town of Merzouga. West of Merzouga, Dayet Srji is a seasonal salt lake that’s often dry in summer. When full, it attracts a wide range of migratory and desert birds, including desert warblers, Egyptian nightjars and, occasionally, flamingos. From Merzouga, is the best place to start 2-5 day adventure into the Sahara Desert. Ideally, you would want to stay multiple days and nights and really explore the desert. During our 3 day adventure, we trekked with camels over the dunes to Desert Luxury camp. We watched sunset on the dunes and took tons of pictures. In the camp, we have been given nice two person tent with adjacent bathroom. In the main dining tent, dinner is served around 8pm and consists of local soup, main dish – usually Tajine, assorted fruit or desert and local bread. On our second day we have contracted private jeep with driver, who took us all around the desert and showed us how local nomads live.
As avid hikers, we were always in search of great hiking trails. Our favorite was hiking trail by Ouzoud falls. Ouzoud Falls is the collective name for several tall waterfalls that empty into the El-Abid River gorge. This popular tourism destination is located near the Moyen Atlas village of Tanaghmeilt, in the province of Azilal, northeast of Marrakech, Morocco. Ouzoud means “the act of grinding grain” in Berber. You can spend all day hiking around the waterfall, and even take quick boat ride under the waterfalls. On the hike down to the bottom, you will encounter countless monkeys. Locals and turists feed these, so they will most likely beg you for food.
Another great sets of waterfalls, although not as spectacular as Ouzoud waterfall, is Setti Fatma Waterfalls, located in Ourika Valley. The valley itself was within the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, which was one of the physical barriers to the Sahara Desert. You can easily access series of small waterfalls and scramble all the way to the top. On the way, you will see locals selling orange juice and trinkets.
One sight not to be missed when in Morocco is world famous Dadès Gorges. The Dadès Gorges are a series of rugged wadi gorges carved out by the Dadès River in Morocco. The river originates in the High Atlas range of the Atlas mountains, flowing some 200 miles southwest before joining the Draa River at the edge of the Sahara.
The area which now forms the Dadès Gorges lay at the bottom of the sea millions of years ago. Great quantities of sediment were deposited around giant coral reefs, and over time this material became compacted into a variety of sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone. Eventually, the movement of the earth’s crust caused the region to rise above the sea, forming the Atlas Mountains and surrounding landscape.
The Dadès River established its course quite early in this upheaval, and the flowing water began to erode away the porous sedimentary rock of the mountains. For the majority of the year, the Dadès has a relatively weak flow, owing to the dryness of the area’s climate. However, during the storm season, enormous quantities of water can be forced into the river at once, creating raging torrents with enormous erosive power. These torrents carry large amounts of debris from the source all the way down to the end of the river’s source, and each piece scrapes away at the softer rock in the gorge walls, gradually enlarging and deepening the gorge with every flood season.
If you have visited Zion National Park in Southwest USA, you will like Todha Gorge for its similarities. The Todgha Gorges are a series of limestone river canyons, or wadi, in the eastern part of the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, near the town of Tinerhir. Both the Todgha and neighboring Dades Rivers are responsible for carving out these deep cliff-sided canyons, on their final 25 miles through the mountains. The height of the canyon walls can vary, but in some places can be up to 1,312 ft high. The last 1,969 ft of the Todgha gorge are the most spectacular. Here the canyon narrows to a flat stony track, in places as little as 10 metres (33 ft) wide, with sheer and smooth rock walls up to 525 ft high on each side. During the dry season, the canyon floor is mostly dry; at most there will be a small stream of water. During this time, the wadi floor is easily traversed by travelers. During the rainy season, however, the Todra can expand massively, covering the canyon floor in a strong torrent. Thanks to its robust rock sides with many uneven surfaces, Todgha Gorge is popular among rock climbers. More than 150 routes rated French Grade 5+ to 8 have been bolted in the canyon.
If you like mountain climbing, I recommend 2-3 backpacking trip to the summmit of Mt. Toubkal. Toubkal or Tubkal is a mountain peak in southwestern Morocco, located in the Toubkal National Park. At 13,671 ft, it is the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco, North Africa and the Arab World. For climbers it is “the most popular mountain objective in the Atlas mountains”. Toubkal is popular with trekkers and ski mountaineers, but less so with climbers, despite its ease of access and sunny climate. Trekkers usually approach the mountain from Marrakesh via the road-end village of Imlil. Qualified guides can be hired, as well as porters, to carry equipment and food supplies higher into the mountains. Since 2018, guides are now required even for the normal route, due to recent events on the trail (murder and deadly slips). Otherwise it is a moderate hike and navigation is not a problem.
One of the greatest hidden gems in Morocco was Ben Hadou. Aït Benhaddou is a historic ighrem or ksar along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. It is considered a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The ksar has been significantly restored in modern times, thanks in part to its use as a Hollywood filming location and to its inscription on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1987. UNESCO reports that the ksar has “preserved its architectural authenticity with regard to configuration and materials” by continuing to use traditional construction materials and techniques and by largely avoiding new concrete constructions. A local committee is in charge of monitoring and managing the site. There is a long list of movies and tv shows that have been filmed here and surrounding area, such as Gladiator, Game of Thrones, Jesus of Nazareth, Babel, Prince of Persia or The Mummy.
If visiting the Moroccon coast and beaches, make sure you will stop at Essaouira. Essaouira is a port city and resort on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Its medina (old town) is protected by 18th-century seafront ramparts called the Skala de la Kasbah, which were designed by European engineers. Old brass cannons line the walls, and there are ocean views. Strong “Alizée” trade winds make the city’s crescent beach popular for surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing.
Morocco has a lot to offer to everybody, culture, shopping, beaches, Sahara desert and lots of places to go hiking or climbing.
Travel tips:
Toll roads
A toll needs to be paid for using most of Morocco’s motorways or autoroutes. All of the toll roads in Morocco are administered by the state-owned company Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM). Morocco uses a “closed system” for its toll roads, meaning that there is a toll booth both at the entrance and the exit of the toll road. You pay either by cash or by credit card (although some toll points might only accept cash so it’s good to have some available at all times). Make sure to keep any proof that you have paid for the toll road as police checks are frequent and fines can be hefty. The prices for using the toll roads are generally quite low. Most of the toll roads connect the largest cities of the country. Oftentimes you can opt to use regional roads instead – while traveling along those will be much slower, the views are usually much more scenic.
Trains
Traveling by train in Morocco is the most efficient and comfortable way to get around. The train network in Morocco is not very extensive but many of the major tourist destinations are covered. Trains run between Marrakech, Fes, Casablanca (including the International Airport), Rabat, Oujda, Tangier, and Meknes. If you want to head to the desert, Atlas Mountains, Agadir, or Essaouira on the coast, you’ll have to get a bus, rental car, or grand taxi to your destination.
Money
Exchanging Money — Morocco is still very much a cash society. Throughout the country, it’s very difficult to cash traveler’s checks or use credit cards. Euros are by far the easiest foreign currency to exchange, and are often accepted as payment if you don’t have any dirham on hand. U.S. dollars and British pounds can be exchanged at banks and bureaux de change, but will rarely be accepted as payment. Frustratingly, most banks, as well as bureaux de change, do not exchange pre-2000 U.S. notes or the new F-series British pound notes that began circulation in early 2007. Throughout the country you’ll also come up against a blanket refusal by any Moroccan to accept any dirham note that is damaged (that includes the slightest tear). The national reserve bank, Bank al Maghrib, will accept all of these, and can be found in each large city. Note: Scottish pounds and Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand dollars are not exchangeable in Morocco. As the dirham isn’t traded internationally, there’s no money-changing black market, and exchange rates vary marginally between banks, bureaux de change, and even most hotels. Changing money at a bureau de change is quicker than at banks, although some banks do have dedicated booths just for money exchange. There is always a problem making change in Morocco, and it’s often difficult to pay with large banknotes. Always be on the lookout for smaller denomination (10 and 20) bank notes and dirham coins, as this will make your life easier during the daily trials of tipping for services and paying for inexpensive everyday goods such as bottled water. Good places to break down a large note are the Acima and Marjane supermarkets (noted throughout the “Shopping” sections of each destination) or at the tollbooths on the nation’s auto routes (if you are self-driving).
Food:
Tagine
It’s a clay cooking pot with a conical lid with multiple types of dishes slow cooked inside (beef, lamb, chicken, veggies, etc)
Zalouk (also spelled zaalouk) is a common side dish and typically served with crusty bread. The spread is made with eggplants, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and spices.
Bastilla. If you love the mix of sweet and salty flavors than you definitely need to try bastilla (also spelled pastilla). This flaky pie is traditionally made with pigeon, but more commonly served with chicken now.
Kohbz. This crusty bread is typically baked in communal wood-fired ovens and served with a lot of meals. Also, be sure to check out all the other breads in Morocco, like the harcha (a buttery bread), rghaif (a flaky flat bread), or baghira (spongy crumpet)
Mint tea
Brochettes. These tasty kebabs are rubbed in salt and spices and can be found in a lot of the markets. You can get chicken, lamb, or beef and the enormous clouds of smoke make for great photos.
Snail soup is a Moroccan dish you can find all over the country. Use a toothpick to pick out the snails from the shells then slurp up to the soup. Locals believe the broth is good for digestion and fever.
Tangia, like tagine, is a clay pot. These dishes are named after the cooking vessels they use. It’s traditionally filled with chunks of beef or lamb and a bunch of spices, then slow cooked in the embers of a furnace.
Shebakia (Chebakia) is another delicious dessert, shebakia is a flower-shaped, fried sesame cookie dipped in honey. You’ll usually find bees all over them in the markets, and they just shoo them away before serving them to you. It’s all part of the experience.
You’ll find all kinds of soups served in Moroccan homes and restaurants, but this one stands out from the crowd for being uniquely Moroccan and very much loved throughout the country. Variations are countless, but typically harira is a tomato-based soup laden with lentils and chickpeas. Rice or fine broken noodles (chaariya) are often added as well, while the stock is usually made with beef or lamb. This authentic Harira recipe does not fall into the quick and easy category, but the effort put into making it won’t disappoint.
Moroccan roasted lamb, referred to as mechoui, is perhaps best sampled in Marrakesh, where whole lamb is roasted in deep pits with smoldering araar wood. But worry not; you need not dig a hole in your backyard if you want to try roasted lamb at home. Instead, try this Moroccan mechoui recipe which calls only for a leg or shoulder.