To the north lies the Mediterranean Sea, to the south the Sahara, along the east is Algeria and to the west is the Atlantic Ocean. The tiny North African nation of Morocco can hardly be a more exotic or diverse travel destination.
Hiking in Morocco
With the broadest plains and highest mountains in North Africa, you can expect to find some great hiking in Morocco, and it doesn’t disappoint. By far the Atlas Mountains, an extension of the European Alpine system, are the top destination for trekkers in North Africa. Extending some 1500 miles, you could spend months exploring these mountains. Along the steep trails you will find meandering streams, rolling rivers, fertile valleys and gorgeous gorges.
To experience authentic Moroccan living, plan a long, meandering hike and book stays in guest houses along the way, talking and feasting with the locals. Or set yourself up with a base at a Berber guest house in Aremd or Imlil and enjoy daily short treks into the lower reaches and valleys. You will find the Berber inhabitants both cheerful and friendly, and their hardy way of life in the small cliff-hanging villages will be a source of amazement.
Cities of Morocco
If you prefer the bustle of cities to the quiet solitude of hiking, Morocco has several great cities to explore: Casablanca, Marrakech, and Fez are among them.
The most famous of all Moroccan cities, thanks to the Humphrey Bogart film of the same name, is Casablanca. Casablanca is Morocco’s largest and most modern city and has a reputation for its beaches and nightlife. While in Casablanca, be sure to visit the Royal Palace and the Great Mosque, as well as the Hassan II Mosque, which is one of the only mosques in Morocco that a non-Muslim person can enter. Along with the beautiful furnishings and tile work, Venetian glass chandeliers, sculpted plaster walls and rich carpets, you will find a dazzling painted ceiling that can retract to reveal the open sky.
Approximately 150 miles inland southeast from Casablanca is the city of Marrakech. Lying at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, Marrakech is a shopper’s delight with its many markets. Marrakech’s exotic town square, Djemaa El Fna, is the place to go to have your fortune told, watch a snake charmed out of its lair, listen to music and feast to your heart’s delight. If you are seeking peace and quiet instead of hustle and bustle, head south of the square for a walking tour of mosques and tombs or to soak in the striking architecture.
Just eight hours away from Marrakech is Fez, considered to be the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco. Its walled medina is the largest and oldest medieval city in the world, and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. For a panoramic vista of the entire city, visit Borj Sud, a fortress ruin located at the top of a hill just south of the medina. A visit to Fez would not be complete without a visit to its spice merchants. Stock up on cumin, ground red pepper, and the unique mixed spice that give Moroccan food its fragrant headiness.
Feasting in Morocco
If you enjoy delicious, spicy (but not hot) food, and have a bit of an adventurous palette, you will eat well anywhere you travel in Morocco. The aromas of saffron, ginger, cilantro and cinnamon mix with grilling meat as you wander around town squares or enter a restaurant. Chicken dishes come in many guises in Morocco and none of them could ever be classified as boring! Try a tangine (stew) of chicken with lemon and olives for a classic Moroccan meal.
You can’t visit Morocco without sampling one of their many couscous dishes. Couscous, a staple throughout the Mediterranean, is a type of granular pasta. Whether paired with seven vegetables in the Fez style, or served up as a side dish to grilled meats, couscous is filling and delicious.
Expect the aromas of Moroccan food to be enticing and the flavors to be bold! And when you get home, expect to want to recreate some of the dishes on your own, as their memory will linger.
