21 Things to Know Before You Visit Morocco ESSAOUIRA, MOROCCO | Dinozzzaver/shutterstock To most American tourists, Morocco is the Toot...
21 Things to Know Before You Visit
Morocco
To most American tourists, Morocco is the Tooth Fairy of travel destinations -- mythical, colorful, and otherworldly. Snow-capped mountains overlook open-air spice markets. Unforgiving deserts are flanked by ecstatic music festivals. Sand dunes meld into bustling souks and towering minarets, all of which function harmoniously within the same glorious province.
Sitting at the crossroads between Europe and the Middle East, the expansive country is a spectacular, disorienting mix of old world and new age culture. It’s the sort of place you come alone to do a little soul-searching. Or with your person to test some boundaries. Or with your roommate, for that matter, to purchase some truly exceptional home goods without the Urban Outfitters markup.
But the trouble with visiting such a grand, eclectic country is figuring out where to go. And with so much territory to cover, winging it simply won’t do. Lucky for you, we’ve got some local intel, courtesy of Intrepid Travel -- an organization that runs 27 different journeys across Morocco. Together, we’ve masterminded a guide to absolutely everything you should know before you find yourself camel-borne, trotting into the Sahara.
Don’t try to tackle Morocco in less than a week
Morocco is roughly the size of California, so don’t go thinking it’s in the realm of a three-day weekend getaway. According to Moroccan native Redouane El Mouatasim, you’ll need at least a week to explore the area in good faith. “Then you can make it to the imperial cities like Marrakech and Fez, and out to the desert,” he says. “Maybe spend a day on the coast.” El Mouatasim works with the Peak DMC team in Marrakech -- an agency under Intrepid Travel, offering guided trips around the country.
As precious as those sweet, sweet PTO days might be, even a week’s vacation is cutting it close. “You’ll be rushed,” he continues. “Ten days to two weeks is perfect; you can actually spend two nights in some places, and maybe even get some rest.”
You’ll need to plan ahead to get around
Unlike Europe, you can’t cover Morocco by train. You can take the train between major players like Marrakech and Casablanca, while smaller cities like Agadir, Taghazout, and Essaouira are accessible via regular bus services from three major companies (Supratours, CTM, and Satas). The latter bus line ventures into the more remote areas of southern Morocco, but if you want to get all the way out into the Sahara Desert, El Mouatasim says transportation gets a little more tricky. “You’ll need to get a bus to a town maybe 40 miles from the Sahara, then you’ll need to either rent a car, or go with a company that does excursions out into the desert.”
Go to Marrakech first. Make it your home base.
When you picture yourself wandering through a Moroccan medina, you’re most likely envisioning Marrakech. Snake charmers, fortune tellers, and merchants manning stalls packed with straw bags and cloth pants crowd the main plaza by day, only to be replaced by a smoky, tantalizing food bazaar at night. From all sides, chefs will beckon you towards their roasting goat’s head meat -- which you should graciously accept, along with bags of dried peaches and heaving plates of hot, sticky couscous. Eat without reserve: No meal here will cost you more than $10.
Admittedly, Marrakech is tourist-heavy, but you can treat the city like your Moroccan training wheels: It’s your gateway to the rest of the country. The place is largely safe and welcoming, making it a solid destination for students or women traveling solo. You can find comfortable accommodations in a riad -- a traditional guest house -- for $40 a night or so, and there will surely be staff nearby to help you navigate the city once you’re settled.
And when you’re ready to explore further, the coast, desert, and mountains lie just beyond Marrakech’s borders. Plus, the city is your best bet for flights -- so make it your first stop.
See Rick’s in Casablanca, then get the hell out of there
Yes, the draw of walking into the same bar as Bogey and telling whoever’s there to play it again, Sam might be strong. But it’s not worth basing your entire trip around.
“Stay a night, but not more,” says Zina Bencheikh, general manager of Marrakech Peak DMC. “See the Hassan II Mosque; it’s the only one non-Muslims can access in Morocco. Go for a drink at Rick’s, but there’s not much to do aside from that.”
Go to Fez for the real deal
“Fez is a bit dirtier than Marrakech, and more authentic,” says Bencheikh. “It’s less for tourists, and the history there is the history of Morocco. And the food in Fez is the best you’ll get in the country.”
Be warned: You will get lost. The labyrinth of colorful, narrow streets in Fez wind into one another forming an impossible maze. But however disorienting, they’re stunning -- and the deeper you lose yourself in their entanglement, the more fully you’ll immerse yourself in the culture. It’s worth spending at least two to three days here to allow for plenty of just-walking-around time. You’ll see quaint homes in a marvelous variety of colors, offset by lines of clean laundry, hanging out to dry. You’ll visit 11th-century leather tanneries where half-dressed men spend their days dying hides in the hot sun. And once you’ve sweated out just about all the toxins in your body, take a day trip to the Roman ruins and baths in Volubiles.
Get to The Blue City before Instagram ruins it
You’ve undoubtedly seen hundreds of photos of Chefchaouen -- The Blue City -- and declared immediately that you must go. You, and 300 million other people.
This small town of blue-washed buildings, punctuated by throngs of colorful flora and fauna, looks ready-made for Instagram. But 2018 might be the last year you can get a good shot without mobs of fellow tourists in your way.
“It’s small, and there’s not much to do there aside from take pictures,” says El Mouatasim. Chefchaouen is relatively tucked away, surrounded by the Rif Mountains (it’s a long bus ride, but doable). “People can get there easily and I’m afraid soon it may be too touristy.”
Bask in Akshour’s glimmering waterfalls
Once you’ve loaded your camera roll with still-lifes from The Blue City, head about 45 minutes south to the valley of Akshour. The crystal clear lakes and waterfalls, which you can easily reach on a short hike, are rarely populated by more than a handful of locals. It’s the perfect place to relax and cool off after a long trek through the mountains.
While not quite to the extent of The Blue City, the surf town of Taghazout is certainly primed for an influx of tourism. What was once a fishing town filled with a wanderlusty cohort of scruffy surfers and wayward backpackers will soon welcome a Fairmont and a sprawling new Marriott. But regardless of its changing infrastructure, the place is still beautiful. And this year it’s still relatively low-key. If you visit on a weekday, you’ll evade the Euro-surfer crowd.
Better yet, venture into some of Morocco’s smaller beach towns. The red arch on Legzira Beach in Little Sidi Ifni is one of the most photographed spots in the country, and it’s not hard to see why. Visiting the towering structure is worth the trip alone.
Further up the coast is the small town of Imsouane: “The sea there is beautiful, and the only people you’ll find there are backpackers. It’s a good day trip from Taghazout,” says El Mouatasim.
Hit Essaouira for some spectacular seafood
This small coastal town is about as close as you’ll get to California livin’ in Morocco -- a bohemian city known for its art community, and its wildly fresh fish. The place is host to the annual Gnaoua Festival -- one of the largest world-music festivals on the planet, held just after Ramadan.
The city itself is decked with street art, and tiny roadside grills serving the day’s fresh catch. Wherever you go, the air has a hint of barbecued seafood and salty ocean water. But magically enough, most tourists don’t seem to have caught on just yet. Get there before they do.
Save at least three days for the desert
It’s no secret that the Sahara is huge, but in spite of its size, it’s not exactly easy to access. Getting to the heart of the Sahara can easily take up to 10 hours, and our guides suggest budgeting at least three days to experience it best.
Book a tour out of Marrakech, most of which stop in a number of different small desert towns for a night or two en route. It’ll be exactly as you’ve always pictured it: You’ll ride a camel and sleep under the stars. But spend any less than three days and you’ll feel rushed. Remember, the desert is Morocco’s top attraction -- it’s worth budgeting some real time for.
Come prepared for the heat… and the cold
El Mouatasim suggests bringing about five times as much water as you think you’ll need, even for low impact activities like camel rides. Which is a lot, considering the amount of H2O most Americans down in a day.
Though it’s counterintuitive, he also advises covering all of your visible skin while in the desert. You’ll be hot either way, but at least if you’re covered up, you’ll be protected from the harsh rays of the Sahara sun. “If you look at the pictures of local people in this desert, they’re all completely covered,” El Mouatasim says.
But don’t let the heat trick you: Temperatures can drop to near freezing once the sun goes down. You’ll certainly want to bundle up at night.
Take an easy day trip from Marrakech into the Atlas Mountains
While the Morocco you imagine might not be one of striking alpine landscapes, the mountain scenery is every bit as spectacular as both the desert and the coast.
A 35-40 minute drive from Marrakech puts you in the Ourika Valley -- a beautiful region packed with hiking trails and crashing waterfalls. Get there before sunrise and you can take a hot air balloon tour, with panoramic views over the High Atlas range. A day here is enough, but it’s definitely worth a visit. Unless you’re afraid of heights, that is.
Spend some time in the valleys between mountains
On the lengthy drives from cities like Agadir and Marrakech to the coastal and mountain regions, you’ll find yourself dipping through valleys dotted with seemingly-abandoned cities and hilltop kasbahs. They might not make it onto tour brochures but they’re worth a stop. Many -- like the Tizourgane Kasbah in the High Atlas Mountains -- are little walled cities, where you can enjoy authentic tagine served with sweeping views. Others, like the village of Tafraoute, just a short hike off the main highway, offer museums packed with local artifacts.
Spend an afternoon at a hammam
Hammams are the Moroccan equivalent of a standard bathhouse. You’ll sit in an aromatic chamber while a local bathing guru scrubs you from head to toe with a rough sponge -- which is far more soothing than it sounds.
“You can do a fancy one in a riad, or if you’re a bit more adventurous, do a local hammam,” says El Mouatasim. “In this case you are not in a private area but out with all the other women or men. Because people in the medina don’t have showers they use hammam for their showers.”
If you’re bold enough to go the full-fledged, group-shower route (you should), be wary: Tattoos will earn you some strange looks from the locals.
Plan your trip around Ramadan
Ramadan, in case you don’t know, is the holy month during which Muslim people fast from sunrise to sunset. So if you happen to be in Morocco during this time, a number of restaurants and other businesses may be closed, especially in more rural areas. But that’s not to say you should avoid visiting during Ramadan. At night, the country comes alive.
“You might find shops opening at 10-11pm,” says El Mouatasim. “After that the city comes back to life, cafes full of people, it’s a different life. People will stay out until 2am during the week when it (falls during) summer.”
“You might find shops opening at 10-11pm,” says El Mouatasim. “After that the city comes back to life, cafes full of people, it’s a different life. People will stay out until 2am during the week when it (falls during) summer.”
Dinner with a native family is the best way to get a real feel for any culture, and Morocco is no exception. Fortunately, many tour operators can arrange meals for you. Sitting on a living room floor, drinking sweet mint tea before devouring chicken tagine studded with plump raisins and saffron couscous, is an experience far beyond anything you can post on social media. According to El Mouatasim, Intrepid added family dining experiences to its Taghazout tour as a way to help visitors interact with the authentic, local culture -- even if they just came to surf.
You can drink -- but do it indoors
Muslim countries will sometimes enforce laws about alcohol that are stricter than what we’re used to in the US. In Morocco, however, the rules aren’t too far off. Basically, you’ve got to keep your booze consumption indoors, and then maintain some semblance of dignity when you’re out in public. In larger cities like Marrakech and Casablanca, there’s even some actually viable nightlife.
There’s no golden rule when it comes to clothing and etiquette
“Americans have questions about how to dress and behave, but it’s very diverse. We have different religions and cultures in this country,” says Bencheikh. “In a city like Marrakech, you have a lot more freedom in how you dress, or act with your boyfriend, or drink. But if you go out in the High Atlas, don’t kiss your husband or drink in front of people, and be sure to cover your shoulders.”
With each new city or region you enter, take care to communicate with locals about what is or is not OK. No rule is all-encompassing, but it’s important that you’re prepared to shift your habits (and your outfits) accordingly.
Be careful while taking pictures
While Moroccan dress is beautiful, and local culture is captivating, this does not license you to photograph locals going about their daily lives at your leisure.
“Lots of people don’t mind (being photographed), but it’s always a good idea to ask for permission,” says El Mouatasim. “If they say no, it’s part of the culture -- this is especially true of females, and especially in the south. It’s insulting to them.”
Expect the natives to ask questions
“People who come here might get overwhelmed by people asking questions,” says El Mouatasim. “We’re very talkative, and want to get to know people.”
Most Moroccans speak excellent English, and you’ll find that locals are keen to use the language. In fact, once you engage, casual small talk will often evolve quickly into a passionate discussion of politics, family, and probably your astrological tendencies. For the introverted, it’s an easy way of engaging in conversation without having to steer the dialogue -- and for the social butterflies among us, it’s a perfect opportunity to give folks an idea of where you’re from.
Moroccans tend to be warm and inviting
Though tourists are not exactly a novelty, Moroccans remain exuberant hosts. “We’ve always been a country used to seeing people coming in,” says El Mouatasim. “When it comes to people visiting from other cultures, we’re very comfortable.”
“Just jump on a train and people will talk to you,” Bencheikh adds. “Talk to people on the street and they’ll help you. It’s just part of what we’ve been educated to do: making people feel welcome in our country.”
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