Morocco

Holidays by Destination Africa Morocco Places to See and Things to Do 

In General

• Souks - shopping areas, covered in the cities, weekly markets with story tellers in the villages - where children will probably be fascinated by everything from brass workers to whole sheep's heads.
• Kasbahs - dried earth castles - splendidly imposing but sliding into oblivion as soon as they are left empty.
• The desert - burnt rock and arid wasteland for as far as the eye can see.
• Oases - startling outcrops of greenery with, in the autumn, trees full of dates edible straight off the plant.
• Fantasia shows, originally of synchronised horseback riding, acrobatic feats and rifle firing but now often including belly dancing, jugglers, and snake charmers.
• Skiing in the Atlas, December to April, one hour from Marrakech. Ski instructors speak English, a day pass is around £2.50 and ski, boot and pole hire around £10.
• Glimpses of a way of life which has changed little in the last 2000 years. In the desert the effect is biblical. In the greener parts of the mountains it is a reminder of the Alps before tourism arrived.
• Touring in a 4x4, for example from Ouarzazate south of the Atlas to Foum Zguid, Tata, Tafraout and Taroudant, or from Fez to Erfoud and Merzouga with two nights in the desert including a camel trek and then on to Ouarzazate with a full day of trekking, quad biking or karting.

And Specifically

Marrakesh
The country's main draw, offering both the traditional medina and French style avenues. The 77m tower of the Koutobia mosque is the main landmark, the Jemaa El Fna the central spot, traditionally a meeting point for the tradesmen of northwest Africa. Stalls sell everything from fresh orange juice to sheep brain, plus fruit, nuts dates and spices. A fairground at dusk, there are storytellers, snake charmers, street vendors, musicians and jugglers plus barbecues, music, and drums, plus white coated men cooking snails, skewers of lamb, couscous and more. and throughout the day there are the cries of street vendors, car horns and horse drawn transport. It's almost medieval and with small children you might enjoy it more by withdrawing to an overlooking rooftop caf? to watch it all in more peace.
The palaces of El Bahia and El Badi, and museums with Islamic stone latticework, marble courtyard sand cedar wood ceilings reflect the heritage. Maison Tiskiwin holds a collection of carpets, jewellery and clothes from central and northern Morocco.
Dar Si Said Museum includes a range of local objects, from arms to jewellery, furniture and carpets, and even a collection of door and window frames.
As well as the Jardin Majorelle, gifted to the city by Yves St Laurent, with Mediterranean and sub tropical plans (and Islamic art inside), there are the Menara Gardens in olive groves round a huge ornamental lake.

Fes
More of a spot for those intrigued by history and related culture.
Founded in 808, the city has been endowed by successive dynasties with world-famous monuments, royal palaces and fortifications, as well as one of the world's earliest universities, now the Karaouine Mosque.
The city today is made up of three parts, the original Fes el Bali, the Fes el Jdid, built in the 13th century for the Mernide sultans, and a modern city built by the French.
Set against the Middle Atlas, the city is strategically positioned on the crossroads of old caravan routes connecting the Sahara with Atlantic and Mediterranean sea ports so always an important commercial centre. The medina is a UNESCO world heritage site well preserved with more than 200,000 inhabitants, 187 quarters, and 150 mosques. Cars don't enter, but it is possible to be run over by mules and donkeys. There are tanneries and dye pits here and a pottery quarter specialising in blue floral or geometric patters on white ceramic. The whole process from kneading the clay and hand cutting it into pieces to hand painting and firing finished items in traditional kilns can be watched.
The 15km Route de Fes circumnavigates the town following ramparts and modern boulevards, passing medieval gates, stone towers, 16th century kasbahs and ancient tombs.
The Dar Batha Museum in a 19th century Hispano Moorish palace houses local traditional art and craft, with some particularly fine pottery as well as sophisticated astrolabes - Arab astronomical instruments.
Meknes Near to Fez offers the Dar Jamai Museum built as a family home, which became the Museum of Moroccan Art in 1920 with everything from wrought iron work to wooden sculpture, weaving, leather working, and more.

Rabat
The capital, created as such by the French who left their colonial buildings, is guarded by five main gates and includes a walled medina plus the Kasbah des Oudaias with its Andalusian garden, and housing elegant Moroccan rooms and articles like carpets, jewellery, pottery and musical instrument. The Archaeological museum now houses the National Museum collections with some outstanding pieces including pre-Roman and Roman items. The realistic Volubilis bronze dog might appeal to children. The Tour Hassan is the unfinished minaret of the Hassan Mosque, designed for 40,000 worshippers. Work stopped after the death of the sultan. There are also gardens and palm-lined avenues to explore.

Agadir
Was completely rebuilt south of the danger zone after an earthquake in 1960 and is considered the biggest beach destination with 300 days of sunshine a year. Almost purely a beach resort, with little else to do or see, it is something of a sanitised version of the country according to some, a cosmopolitan resort according to others. The city centre is about two miles from the tourist area. Popular as a winter destination, in summer it tends to see families. Watersports, golf and tennis bring European package holidaymakers and it also functions as a jumping off point for day trips for example to Taroudannt, capital of the fertile Souss valley and a traditional Berber market town, to the attractive Paradise Valley, and to villages in the High Atlas mountains.

Essaouira
A fishing port and World Heritage Site, smaller and less mass market than Agadir, and regarded by many as the best of the coastal spots. The Atlantic waves draw a steady stream of surfers but the French, Berber and Portuguese history in the old town and medina (built by a French architect on commission from Sultan Sid Mohammed ben Abdallah in 1765) ensures plenty of alternative diversions. In the fortified harbour traditional wooden boats are built, sardine and mackerel catches landed and auctioned, and the fish barbecued. The souks are genuine and less hassle than Marrakesh, and the 16th century fort inspired Jimi Hendrix' Castles in the Sand. The port is also where Orson Welles filmed Othello in the early ‘50s.
The Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah Museum, in a house once belonging to a pasha, is a museum of regional art.
There are quiet squares and European style pavement cafes, while arty shops and galleries indicate the presence of a substantial expat population of artists attracted by the local light and colour.
Alizes breezes (Essaouira is also known as windy city) mean the climate is relatively mild and sunny year round.

Casablanca
A modern and untidy port city, the main cultural draw is the Hassan II mosque which towers over the it. The Habbous district features twisting streets and tiny squares.

Tangier
The main draw here are restaurants, clubs and beaches, though battle history buffs might enjoy the Forbes Museum which houses the American's 115,000 lead soldiers modelling battles from Waterloo to Dien Bien Phu. and 17th century Dar el-Makhzen, a former sultan's palace with bronzes and mosaics from Roman sites as well as other antiquities.

Oualidia
A quiet, largely Moroccan resort, fairly relaxed, with 17th century kasbah, safe swimming and good surfing and windsurfing.

The Atlas Mountains
The High Atlas can be explored from Marrakesh or Agadir on simple day outings, or on longer treks. For those who want to venture further, in the surprisingly populated area in addition to the villages and strikingly unspoilt scenery, Djebel Yagour is the centre of Morocco prehistory with more than 2,000 cave paintings.

The Edge of the Sahara
South of the Atlas the desert starts, simply rocky at first, but moving towards the more archetypal dunes. Worth exploring are the valleys of the Draa, Dades and Ziz with their kasbahs. Ouarzatate is the first obvious stop en route from Marrakesh, somewhat spoilt by a number of concrete hotels. Running east is the Dades valley towards Tinehir and the striking Todra Gorge. Travelling further east takes you to Erfoud, jumping of point for the extraordinary sand dunes at Merzouga. South from Ouarzazate is the Draa valley which leads to Zagora, one upon a time considered the gate of the desert. To the west leads eventually back to the Atlantic and Agadir.