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Morocco cities & regions
 

Agadir The leading seaside resort in Morocco deserves its title. A 10km-long beach of fine sand and more than 300 days of sunshine a year. With its miraculous climate, providing a minimum of 300 days of sunshine a year, and its 10km-long beach, Agadir has all you need for a great seaside holidays. Agadir is a member of a private club which is part of the world's most beautiful bays. It contains a marina which can receive several hundred pleasure boats. Seaside The developed coastal road allows you to stroll along more of the sea front, a popular place for a walk at any time of day. It offers a complete panorama of the whole bay. Don't miss visiting the port which is constantly buzzing. Slightly to the south of the city center, this is a place to be discovered with great delight: the new medina was reconstructed from the 1990s onwards by Italian architect Coco Polizzi. Careful urban development, craftsmen and restaurants. It is an original and bold success, where the Moroccan soul still survives. The jewelry souk and the Moorish café are more than worth the detour. To remember Agadir is the leading Moroccan seaside resort thanks to its long beach and its exceptional amount of sunshine. An accessible destination all year round.

 

Casablanca The Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah decided, in the middle of the 18th century, to rebuild ancient Anfa (the hill), a small Berber 7th century town, from its ruins. The ancient medina, still partially enclosed by ramparts, became the first district of Casablanca. You will find an atmosphere of traditions and a thousand small crafts and trades in the maze of alleys and workshops. The other facet of the town appeared during the first half of the 20th century. Casablanca became the showcase of Art Deco architecture. The outlying districts are connected to and organized around the Place de France and the Place Administrative, now respectively United Nations Place and Mohammed V Place. The Habous area, situated 3km away from the city centre, is unique in Morocco: a new medina entirely designed according to the traditional model. Initially, it was intended for the rural population coming to work in Casablanca. It shows tradition's capacity to adapt perfectly to the constraints of the modern world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chechaouen
Cut into the sides of two mountains, Chefchaouen is a city with blue and white lime-washed houses. A powerful charm that you really can feel in the Outa-el-Hammam square, in the cobblestone medina. Sat on the terrace of a cafe, you can enjoy the attractive view of the grand Tarik-Ben-Ziad mosque whose octagonal minaret is inspired by that of the Torre de Oro in Seville. This Andalousian architecture can be found in the kasbah and its gardens, at the center of the medina. Its walls and its 11 crenellated towers, of which one used to be a dungeon, house an interesting ethnographic museum.

In the small museum in the kasbah can be found collections of embroideries and colored and varied pieces of clothing like those worn by the region's women. The famous djellaba, this long and ample garment worn by the men and women of North Africa, was created here. The welcome and great hospitality provided by its inhabitants can be experienced during a visit to a traditional oil mill (there are more than 1500 of them) or a craftsman's workshop. Over and above its weaving, Chefchaouen is renowned for its basket-making and its pottery. Furthermore, you can take part in an introduction to pottery workshop in the pottery at Ghzaoua, and go away with your own berradas (water jugs) or a more simple goulla (jar). On the whole, the pottery of the Rif region is fairly plain. Black or red paint is applied directly onto the terracotta. The walk continues as far as Rif Sebbarim, the wash house district, to the square on which there is a mosque dating from the 15th century. A visit to the agadirs or the region's fortified communal attics is also a must. Finally, leaving the town without having first tried its goat's milk cottage cheese from the mountains is out of the question. It is perhaps the best in Morocco.

 

Eljadida
Listed as a World Heritage Site by Unesco, the former Mazagan became El Jadida (the New City) in 1815. The Portuguese built the fortified city, which originally had five bastions. Today, only four remain. You can reach them by taking a perfectly preserved path around the battlements. The Bastion of the Angel provides a good view of the town, the port and the sea. The Saint-Sébastien bastion has a crude chapel from the Inquisition. A ramp allows you to go down to the Porte de la Mer. This slope going down to the water was used to escape by the Portuguese in 1769. By going back up on the main street you can access the Portuguese cistern. Forgotten in the past, it was rediscovered by chance in 1916. A shaft of light lights up the center of this underground chamber supported by five rows of columns. A beautiful setting where films such as Othello by Orson Welles and Harem by Arthur Joffé were shot. By continuing the walk you will come across the church of the Assumption opposite a mosque with a unique minaret. It is probably the only pentagonal one in the world.

In addition to the attractive, pleasant and safe beaches on the coast to the south and north of El Jadida, 17km from Azemmour there is the former capital of the Doukkala region, located at the mouth of the Oum Errabia river, which is renowned for its succulent shad (cousin of the sardine). You can take a pleasant walk along the old streets of the medina.

 

Essaouira
Thanks to the ocean breeze, Essaouira benefits from cool air. At the end of the morning, don't miss the colourful and lively spectacle of the return of the boats to the port, with their baskets full of fish. Grant yourself a rare pleasure: try the grilled sardines or taste a small lobster in the port. Their freshness is incomparable and the atmosphere forever engraved in your memory… Then, return to town through the Bab El Marsa gate.

The Sqala of the Kasbash, the artillery platform on the ramparts, offers from its north bastion an incomparable view across the medina, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, over the port's Sqala and out over the ocean. Leave the old European canons and walk towards the casemates that lead to the street. Some of the Kingdom's most famous marquetry craftsmen and cabinet makers have founded their workshops there. They work on the wood of the sandarac tree and are deserving of your visit: their work is of a rare intricacy. You will easily find the object that will eternally symbolise Essaouira, once you return home. In the Moulay El Hassan square, you can enjoy the numerous and lively café terraces and restaurants.

The Gnaoua, descendents of African slaves, practice trance and faith healing whilst playing a syncopated music accompanied by singing and dancing. Essaouira has been host for over ten years to a very popular festival, which takes place at the start of summer, and which promotes Gnaoua music whilst giving a wide opening to world music, jazz and blues.

Essaouira's beach is a long ribbon of around ten kilometres bathed in surf. Its sheer size is surprising and its tranquillity is reassuring. There is an invigorating sensation from the ocean breeze as soon as you set foot on the immaculate sand.

 

Fes
The entire medina has been designated Unesco World Heritage of Humanity Site. Wander through its souks and alleys which are unchanged since the Middle Ages.

Traditionally your exploration of the medina should start at the Bab Boujlloud Gate. The first monument to visit is the vast Bou Inania medersa, with its cedar woodwork, its sculptured stucco and its marble and onyx decoration. As you continue along Talaa Kebira Street (big climb), you will particularly admire the Tijani zaouïa (zaouïa, sanctuary of a religious brotherhood) and the instrument makers' souk before arriving at the mzara (shrine) of the ancient sovereign Moulay Idriss situated at the place where he took the decision to build the town. Once you have passed the babouche vendors, you arrive in En-Nejjarine Square and the cabinetmakers' souk. The magnificent carved foundouk (caravanserai) on the square houses the Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts. The kissaria (covered market), where jewellery and fine fabrics are on sale, is nearby (it is shut at night). Next to it, you can admire the most visited and revered attraction in Fès: the zaouïa of Moulay Idriss, founder of the town.

Your walk continues on to Es-Seffarine Square, the coppersmith square, and then to the tanners' quarter situated just before the Andalusian quarter with its mosque and the Es-Sahrij medersa. Your walk ends at the old Dar Batha Palace whose Arabo-Andalusian style makes it a museum to visit absolutely. As it is specialised in the arts and traditions of Fès, it gives an excellent overview of all the local products of the town reputed for its craftsmen's skills. This lively museum also hosts some of the concerts of the Festival of World Sacred Music which takes place every June. The Moqri Palace, hidden nearby behind high white walls, houses treasures of a rare architectural refinement. Prolong the dream by spoiling yourself with a night in the Jamaï Palace, previously the residence of a rich vizier now converted into a hotel.
High atlas Mountains

 

Ifrane
From the moment you arrive in Ifrane, there is an overriding feeling of freshness. Wide avenues, parks, European-style villas – here you will discover a little-known side of North Africa. There is an abundance of springs and lakes in this region at the heart of a dense cedar forest. The sloped-roof chalets are astonishingly reminiscent of Switzerland. This makes for an infinitely enjoyable break. On the Azrou road to the south-east, a large number of dormant volcanoes make up the countryside around Ito, a rocky landscape which reminds many people at dusk of lunar craters.

The Vittel spring and its waterfalls are an ideal walking destination. Follow the river a few hundred meters and come to the forest of maples and poplars through which the spring flows. In the summer, short trips on horseback are offered to the waterfalls.

A few kilometers along the Meknès road, you will come to the mausoleum of a marabout, a religious man from the 16th century, Sidi Abdesslam. Covered in blue zelliges mosaics, the mausoleum is an important place of pilgrimage, tucked away in a valley covered in cypress and olive trees. A little higher up than the village, several dozen ancient troglodytic dwellings are still used as stables or storage areas.

 

Marrakech
You go back in time once you arrive in Marrakesh. You can easily imagine the caravaneers loading their camels with food, tools and handiwork as you wander through the picturesque alleys of the old town. The souks contain everything that a traveller could want: colour, atmosphere and smells, welcoming and smiling faces. The Semmarine souk specialises in clothing. You will find many typical clothes made traditionally in the narrow streets surrounding the souk. Some stalls sell jewellery and often antiques as well. The famous Jemaa El Fna is a medieval world where, day and night, storytellers, shopkeepers and snake charmers vie for your attention. Mischievous monkeys will accost you. You will be able to see the splendid minaret of the Koutoubia mosque. This 12th century Hispano-Moorish masterpiece inspired the builders of the Giralda in Seville. Amateurs of the eternal Orient will want to visit the splendid Bahia Palace where surprising Andalusian gardens add to the refinement of the prestigious apartments and their secret patios. The Dar Si Said Museum is situated nearby. You should visit it for its great architectural value. It exposes Moroccan art; its collections will help you to plunge into the Moroccan way of life down to its most mundane aspects. It is idyllic for those you love strolling and learning, feeling and experiencing. Take the time to watch and listen...

 

Meknes
In the 17th century, the Alaouite sultan Moulay Ismaël decided to make Meknes one of the most beautiful and powerful Imperial cities in Morocco. And still today, protected by around 40km of walls, it has preserved imposing monuments, including numerous mosques which earn it its nickname of the "city of a hundred minarets". Among them, the Great Mosque, probably founded in the 12th century, is remarkable for its gates with beautiful sculpted canopies. Its medina and the remains of the royal palace earned Meknès a place on Unesco's world heritage list. The city is still prosperous, benefiting from the harvests of the fertile Saïs plains (grain, olives and grapes).
Gates and palaces

Considered to be one of the most beautiful gates in the world, Bab Mansour was constructed at the beginning of the 18th century. It is the entrance to the Imperial city proper, where a visit to the sultan's mausoleum is still of interest. You can also meditate on the edge of the Agdal pond, an immense rectangular basin.
Markets and lively squares

Meknes has one of the busiest medinas in Morocco. The Place El-Hedime, located exactly between the old town and the Imperial part of the city, houses the covered market and becomes busy at dusk: fire-swallowers, storytellers, animal trainers and jugglers create an atmosphere different from anything you are used to.
Traditional culture

The regional ethnographic museum, which has its home in the Dar Jamaï palace, is arranged seamlessly around a superb Andalusian garden. Gold stitching, faience and ancient jewelry give a comprehensive glimpse into the Kingdom's past splendors.


Merzouga
Sahara: the greatest desert in the world, rending Africa in two, with its endless mountains of sand, dunes that stretch beyond the imagination. Evenings of such clarity one can see the literal dome of the earth, and fall asleep counting the innumerable stars - one forgets how many there are. This is the land of camels, and nomads, of ancient songs and the great winds.


 

 

Ouarzazate
Ouarzazate was built in 1928 and is now, among other things, the starting point for trips into Southern Morocco. However this stopover town is now a destination in its own right. The recently restored Taourirt kasbah proves this point. Unesco has recognized this district with its ochre adobe buildings as a World Heritage of Humanity Site.The stucco decoration and the painted cedar ceilings in two magnificent rooms are particularly noteworthy.

Ouarzazate has been unfailingly linked with cinema since 1984. Its climate, geographical situation and economic conditions have encouraged film studios to locate there. The sets of films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra or the Sheltering Sky and Gladiator can be visited.

You can't leave Ouarzazate without visiting the Tiffoultoute kasbah and the Ait Benhaddou ksar. These remarkable examples of traditional architecture give a foretaste of the famous Route of the 1000 kasbahs. The view from the impressive ksar (fort, plural ksour), which has been recognized by Unesco as a World Heritage Humanity Site, is a magnificent panorama of the palm grove, the reg (stony desert) and the Atlas mountains.

 

Rabat
Sober and graceful, Rabat stretches serenely along the ocean’s edge. Hassan Tower, in all its force, is outlined against the sky, dominating an esplanade of marble pillars, the remnants of a mosque conceived in the 12th century so that the entire army of the sovereign Yaqub Al-Mansour could pray there. On this very esplanade stands the Mohammed V mausoleum, a veritable little palace. Finely-crafted marble, bronze and painted woods under a mahogany dome perforated with stained glass form the case enclosing the royal tombs carved into a chiseled block of white onyx and resting on a slab of onyx and dark blue granite which shimmers like water.

In the south of the city, the gardens on Mechouar Square await you for a stroll by the royal palace. Go back toward the town centre and take the time to visit the archaeological museum: it presents the findings of excavations at several of the country’s archeological sites, notably Volubilis and Lixus. Also in the town centre, you will find Mohammed V Avenue, lined with art deco buildings. With its large agglomerations, wide avenues and parks, this area of the city harmoniously borders the old medina.

In Rabat, the year is brimming with a wide variety of events and festivals, bearing witness to great cultural dynamism. In May, music holds the place of honor in the Mawazine world music festival. The International Alternative Film Festival takes place in June, and music returns to centre stage in November with the Plucked String Instrument Festival.
A timeless stroll.

Safi
Start at the Ksar El Bahr (Castle of the Sea). This square bastion was built on the water's edge in the 16th century by the Portuguese, whose presence would last for 50 years. Passing the ramparts, we enter the medina by the Souk street. Along with the Place de l’Indépendance, this is the liveliest place in the city. Flanked by stalls, all the crafts trades are represented here. Level with the Great Mosque, a path leads to the Portuguese Chapel. This was constructed in 1519 at the center of the chancel of the old cathedral. At the end of the Rue des Forgerons, the potters' quarter occupies the hill to the left. Its land contains an exceptional clay which is the origin of Safi's reputation. A visit to the cooperative's school allows you to follow the various production stages of pottery. To find out more, don't miss the Kechla. This massive Portuguese fortress with crenellated towers offers a pretty view over the city and the sea. Through a monumental gateway giving onto the méchouar (square), we arrive at the buildings housing the national ceramics museum. Ceramics were introduced by a potter from Fez in 1875. Ceramics from Safi, which are recognized internationally, stand out due to their blue color and the highly sought-after pieces of all shapes and sizes.


Saidia
A beautiful bay and, above all, 14 km of fine sand… Saidia is a new generation of resort that holds on to its Moroccan charm. Stroll under the mimosa and eucalyptus trees that line the beach, sunbathe freely and, above all, dive into the turquoise water inviting you to relax.

To take the full measure of the transparency and clearness of the sea as it gently laps the coast, a walk along the coast road is highly recommended. All the families and holidaymakers go there at the end of the day, when the sand takes on a golden colour and everything becomes softer and gentler.

The completely new pleasure port, which has 850 moorings, is a great place to take a stroll, even if you are not a sailor! There are schools for sailing, diving and water skiing. In the vicinity, there are restaurants, a thermal centre, shops. A whole range of varied activities and services are offered to ensure that you have an unforgettable holiday in an elegant location with modern facilities.

Take advantage of your trip to Saidia to visit Oujda, some sixty kilometres south of the seaside resort. The capital of eastern Morocco has a beautiful medina, whose kasbah, the old citadel, watches over a fourteenth-century Koranic school. Oujda also invites you to explore its beautiful markets. It is a dream setting to listen to Gharnatian music, a melancholic Arabo-Andalusian music.


Tangier
There are two headlands in Tangier you should visit to admire magnificent sunrises and sunsets; great occasions for peaceful and romantic walks.

Cap Spartel
This spot, about 12km from Tangier, is ideal for admiring the sun setting on the Atlantic Ocean. On the way, you can stop to visit the Hercules Cave. According to legend, this mythical Greek half-god rested here after digging the Strait of Gibraltar. The cave floods at high tide. The entrance has the shape of an upside map of Africa. There is a restored Roman site just 500m away. It is the old town of Cotta where the ruins of its temple and the hot-baths remain. Cap Spartel is covered by cork oak, broom and eucalyptus. There is also a fine lighthouse built in 1865.

 

Cap Malabata
This spot, 10 km from Tangier, is ideal for admiring the sun rising over the Mediterranean. The road leading to Cap Malabata lighthouse is lined with creeks and deserted sandy beaches and has magnificent views of the Strait of Gibraltar and the Spanish coastline. From the lighthouse, you have a splendid view of the town and the bay of Tangier. Further along the same road, you should stop in Ksar Es-Seghir, a small fishing harbour with its colourful and lively Saturday souk. Not far away, a beautiful sandy beach awaits you.

 

Taroudant
Just like Marrakech, Taroudant has imposing adobe ramparts, adorned with square towers. A 7km horse-drawn carriage tour around it reveals its five gates, Bab El-Kasba being the main one and the most majestic. The excellent condition of the crenellated fortifications demands respect. Large fruit orchards surround the city. Its medina and its souks are very lively. The profusion of decorative items, jewelry and other antiques is astonishing.

Surrounded by mountains – the Upper Atlas to the north and east and the Anti-Atlas range to the south – Taroudant is at the center of a fertile valley. Perched on a rocky outcrop 30km to the south east, the village of Tiout looks over a palm grove which is reminiscent of the one in Marrakech. The ruins of an ancient kasbah transformed into a restaurant for tourists looks down onto the site. From the top of this outcrop, there is an exceptional view over the Upper Atlas and the Souss valley. Out of interest, Fernandel filmed Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves in this palm grove in 1954.

As well as being specialized in Berber craftsmanship and silver objects, the city of Taroudant is famous for its tannery. This is easy to understand when you visit the tanners' souk. Around 40 craftsmen work the hides of sheep, goats and other more exotic animals in front of you. On the agricultural side, the area around Amagour, a pretty village located 32km south of Taroudant, is covered in argan trees. Argan oil, used in cosmetics and cooking, is therefore ubiquitous in the region. As is the precious and sought-after saffron, harvested from flowers whose meadows spread around Taliouine and which will enchant you.

Tafraout
Halfway down the Atlantic coast, magnificent palm-filled gorges nestled in the High Atlas Mountains open a magic door to spectacular vistas in the ruggedly beautiful countryside toward Tafraoute. As we travel past gentle farming country, the North African sun bathes the mountains in a brilliant pageantry of blushing rose, glowing gold and mauve color. Sienna mud-brick Berber villages with their cultivated farm terraces appear near rivers fringed with date palms. We’ll travel off the beaten path to discover the exotic dance and food of Berber tribes with traditions rooted in history that hold a magic belonging to another age.

 

Tetouan
The medina of Tetouan and its unique network of shaded alleyways, is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. Its large mellah (Jewish quarter) was called Little Jerusalem. It is the most lively area after nightfall. Here, the souks are well separated, each trade occupying a precise perimeter. Tarafin street, which is lined with jewellery shops, leads to Hassan II square and the Royal Palace, a fine example of Hispano-Mauresque architecture. To the west, on the modern side, the new town, El Ensanche, can be found. Its small buildings of five storeys maximum, with shops on the ground floor, were built under Spanish protectorate.

The archaeological museum can be found in the medina, close to the Bab Tout gate, and the Moroccan Arts museum next to Bab El Oqla. The former has beautiful mosaics and a multitude of Roman-period artefacts, on loan from the Lixus site. The latter, which is ethnological, exhibits traditional costumes and regional musical instruments. Close to this museum, the trade school teaches all craft specialisations. The National Fine Arts Institute, founded in 1947 by Mariano Bertuchi, a Spanish painter, has the particularity of having a comic strip teaching section, since 2000. Since 2004, each year it hosts the international Comic Strip festival.

Volubilis
Once the capital of the Roman province of Mauritania, as the region was then known, the ruins of Volubilis are near-perfectly preserved, providing a clear window into Roman urban planning and design. The entire site was perfectly preserved for thousands of years, until some of the marble was removed to build nearby Meknes. What remains is still some of the most stunning Roman ruins outside of Rome, with exquisitely impressive mosaics preserved, literally where they were built.

 

 

Zagora
Zagora, a lush, inhabited oasis known for its delectable dates that grow on palm trees. The weekly market on Sunday in Zagora offers an opportunity to mingle amid the tribes selling a plethora of goods, and to also watch the local action of the donkey market. You’ll travel through the magnificent mountainside of the High Atlas, a spectacular vista dotted with colorful Berber villages, sparkling lakes, and fragrant cedar forests that come alive with the chatter of the Barbary apes.

As you approach Agdiz, through the Draa Valley — a 200-kilometer long oasis— the forests give way and the approaching desert emerges like a mirage. Palm-groves fringe an occasional river nestled along sandy banks, and ksour or fortified, turreted villages spring up like sand castles. This area has long been a popular location for Hollywood films, including The Last Temptation of Christ, Jewel of the Nile, and most recently Hideous Kinky. We’ll spend a full day experiencing the unhurried pace of rural life in Zagora’s oasis.
 

 

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