MY MOROCCAN ADVENTURE

I’ve recently returned from a fabulous trip around Morocco which I very much enjoyed. Although I’d visited Marrakech on a short break a few years ago, Morocco had been on my radar as a country worth exploring for some time. With its historic cities, contrasting landscapes, fabulous art and architecture – it ticked a lot of boxes for me. So I decided to take the plunge and booked myself on a small group11-night tour. If that kind of trip’s not for you, this itinerary is perfectly do-able driving yourself by car – although some of the journeys between stops are long, all the roads are well paved, even in remote areas. And if you’re used to driving on the right, you’ll find it fairly easy going.

We flew into Marrakech and spent the night there before heading off on our adventure. Our first stop was for a few hours in Casablanca. It’s quite an interesting city, with its art deco architecture – the remnants of its French heritage. But the jewel in the crown is the Hassan II Mosque, perched above the Atlantic. It’s one of the few mosques in Morocco that are open to visits from non-Muslims. Although It was built fairly recently, the design is traditional, and it’s a perfect introduction to Morocco’s blend of tradition and modernity.

We drove on to the country’s capital Rabat for a 2-night stay. This city turned out to be a bit of a revelation for me. I wasn’t expecting that I’d like it so much! It’s a very green, coastal city with well-kept gardens and is subtly elegant. It's a city where history and modern life coexist without clashing. There are plenty of places to visit here. First, the Hassan Tower which was meant to be the minaret of the world’s largest mosque in the 12th century, but was never completed. Today, it stands alongside rows of the remains of marble columns. Facing it is the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the final resting place of Morocco’s beloved king who saw the country through independence. Then, just steps from the Atlantic lies the kasbah, a peaceful fortress dating back to the Almohad dynasty. Walking through its narrow lanes feels almost Mediterranean, with cats lounging on sunlit steps and bougainvillea cascading over walls. Don’t miss the Andalusian Gardens, tucked just inside the kasbah gates—quiet, lush, and perfect for a break. Grab a mint tea at Café Maure, which overlooks the Bou Regreg River and has an unbeatable view of neighbouring Salé and the Atlantic. We also enjoyed wandering around the souk – not as frenetic as other cities, you can walk shoulder to shoulder with the locals without being pestered.

The next place on our tour was Chefchouen – the famous blue city in the Rif Mountains. I’d wanted to visit here for ages. The narrow streets of the Medina were very crowded – apparently, may people come here on a day trip from Tangier, so I’d advise visiting early morning or later in the day if you want to take photos of the charming blue buildings without other tourists in the way. We only spent one night in Chefchouen, but given how long it took us to drive here, I’d recommend a couple of nights to decompress.

The next day we headed for Fes, which has Morocco’s oldest Medina, but we did a short detour to stop at the Roman ruins at Volubulis. Not much of the original city remains, but it’s a peaceful spot with some interesting mosaics and its in a lovely setting amongst olive-tree-dotted hills. It’s definitely worth a short visit.

Fes has the world’s largest pedestrianized area – the historic Medina is huge with a maze of alleyways full of shops and eateries. We spent the next morning exploring with a guide - visiting (amongst other places) the extremely smelly Chouara Tannery (where you’re given a bunch of mint to hold to your nose) and the historic Al Quaraouiyine University. In the afternoon, we decided to head out on our own and got completely and utterly lost. In the end we asked a couple of locals to help us navigate our way back to the hotel – which they were happy to do for 100 dirams!

The next day was the longest journey of the holiday (9 hours) as we headed south east towards the Sahara, and the town of Erfoud, crossing the Middle Atlas. After a night to recuperate we visited a really interesting place where they create sculptures and furniture from rock that is full of fossils. I know, it sounds quite weird, but it was actually quite fascinating how they mine the rocks and then turn it into the most amazing pieces. We also visited the small town of Rissani with a lovely mosque and peaceful gardens. And then in the afternoon we headed for the windswept, desert dunes of the Sahara. And very impressive they were too.

The following day was another long journey as we headed to Ouarzazate via the magnificent Todra Gorge. This is a dramatic canyon with towering red rock walls. The scenery around the area was fabulous – the terracotta adobe towns contrasting the with green of the palm trees. It was one of my favourite places of the holiday! I think it might be nice to spend a night around here – there was a hotel very close to the gorge by the river that would definitely be worth considering.

We continued to Ouarzazate in the afternoon - known as the “Hollywood of Africa,” it’s home to Atlas Film Studios, where scenes from Game of Thrones, Gladiator, and The Mummy were filmed. It was interesting to visit the different film sets that have been used in so many films and TV programmes. We also saw Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO-listed ksar (fortified village) made entirely of earthen clay. It looks like it belongs in a fantasy novel—and many filmmakers have agreed. Our guide explained that no one actually lives there now, because all the power lines for electricity have been removed so that it can be used as a film set!

And so we headed back to Marrakech across the spectacular landscape of the Atlas Mountains. This really is a city of intensity and contradiction. It’s where ancient call to prayer echoes through modern art galleries, where a donkey cart might pass a luxury SUV, and where the chaos of the medina is matched only by the serenity of a riad courtyard. I enjoyed it just as much as on my first visit.

Overall it was a fabulous holiday. I really enjoyed our tour around Morocco and would definitely go back to explore further. We found the people friendly and obliging, the food is very tasty and there’s so much to see here. Get in touch, if you’d like to plan a trip to this fascinating country.