MOROCCO TRAVEL GUIDE
Things To Do
Things to Do
A land of spice-scented mystery and medieval kasbahs, Morocco puts your senses on high alert. The country is a magic carpet ride of extremes, from the searing Sahara to the snow-dusted High Atlas Mountains; from Marrakech's thronging medinas to petal-strewn serenity in a Fez riad. It's a place where spirituality rises with the first adhan (call to prayer), where cities are urban labyrinths and where runaway donkeys rule the souks. Bring a sense of adventure, a talent for haggling and patience for the long, bumpy but thrilling ride.
Cities
Ancient and modern collide in the tree-fringed boulevards of the European-flavored capital, Rabat. Trace the Atlantic coast north to Tangier for colorful street life and glimpses of Spain. Head south to bustling Art Deco port and silver-screen legend Casablanca. The symmetry of Hassan II, the largest mosque outside Mecca, is breathtaking. Inland, the imperial cities of Marrakech and Fez whisk you back to the Middle Ages, where donkey carts rattle down the streets of walled medinas.
Countryside
With snow, the Sahara and everything in between, it's no wonder Morocco is synonymous with outdoor adventure. Hike the color-changing peaks, mudbuilt kasbahs and time-locked Berber villages of the High Atlas Mountains. An old caravan route leads to the enigmatic fortified city Aït Benhaddou, of Lawrence of Arabia fame, which glows red at dusk. In winter, take to the slopes of Oukaïmeden, Africa's highest ski resort (2,600m). Ride the rippling dunes of Saharan Morocco by 4×4 or camel hump.
Coast
Spain is sometimes glimpsed from the coves along the northern Mediterranean coast, backed by the snow-capped Rif Mountains. Pummelled by Atlantic surf, the west coast takes you to Casablanca‘s cafe-lined Corniche and Agadir‘s ever-popular sweep of golden sand. Today there are more wave-crazy surfers than hippies in Taghazout and whitewashed Essaouira. In the latter, ride a camel along the beach as the setting sun silhouettes Borj el-Berod, the sinking ruins said to have inspired Jimi Hendrix's Castles Made of Sand.
Eating and Drinking
Deep in the labyrinthine medinas of Fez and Marrakech, rose-petal-strewn riads serve a Moroccan diffa (feast) by candlelight. Savory tagines, slow-roasted Mechoui lamb and saffron-infused couscous are menu regulars. Tuck into French cuisine in elegant colonial surrounds in Rabat and Atlantic-fresh seafood in coastal Agadir and Casablanca. Doughy tagella bread is baked in the hot sands of the Sahara. In souks across the country it's polite to accept (and slurp) mint tea, poured from a great height into tinkling glasses.
The Best Small Towns and Villages in Morocco
- Asilah: This quaint fishing village exudes a Mediterranean-style charm, true to its relatively recent Spanish history, which is amplified by the throngs of Spanish visitors and expats who fill the village during the summer months. Asilah's prestigious International Cultural Festival is worth timing your itinerary around, and it has assisted in the general beautification and restoration of the 15th-century medina.
- Ifrane: A French-built mountain resort, Ifrane is a village like no other in Morocco. Thanks to its Swiss chalet-like architecture, neatly trimmed lawns and gardens, tree-lined lake, and clean, crisp mountain air, a stop in Ifrane is almost like leaving the country. The village is also home to a royal palace and a U.S.-curriculum university. It's a welcome retreat from Fes and Meknes during the hot summer months and enjoys erratic snowfalls during the winter.
- Imlil: The most popular trail head from which to trek Jebel Toubkal, the village of Imlil is witnessing a bit of a boom at the moment, thanks largely to the increasing number of visitors from Marrakech, less than a 2-hour drive away. Sitting in the Aït Mizane valley and 1,740m (5,708 ft.) high, Imlil is a very pleasant place to while away a couple of days. The silence is deafening, the nights are filled with endless stars, and there's a small but quality choice of accommodations.
- Chefchaouen: The Rif mountains' most traveler-friendly village is also one of the country's most picturesque, sitting snugly between the twin peaks from which it takes its name. Chefchaouen's small medina was once off-limits to all Westerners, but nowadays it's a decidedly more welcoming place, with plenty of accommodations and restaurants to suit all budgets and a square where breakfast, lunch, and dinner can blend into a daylong affair.
- Amezrou: This small village — across the Oued Dra from its big sister Zagora — meanders through a lush palmeraie and is one of the most authentic desert settlements of the scenic Dra Valley. Although often used only as an overnight stop on the way to/from the Erg Chigaga desert dunes, Amezrou offers the traveler multiple attractions and quality accommodations, and is worth an extended stay if you have the time.
- Oukaïmeden: Morocco's only ski resort is also a beautiful trekking base during the warmer months. At the end of a steep, winding road, Oukaïmeden is little more than a smattering of Swiss-like holiday homes and a few hotels, although this may change in the near future with a proposed Dubai-financed property development.
The Best Views in Morocco
- Jemaa el Fna (Marrakech): Marrakech's famed square is the setting for an incredible spectacle that begins in the morning with snake charmers, West African Gnaoua musicians, and nakkachat, veiled women ready to tattoo any bare piece of flesh with their henna-based designs. Come late afternoon, they are joined by all manner of performers — acrobats, dancers, musicians, and storytellers called halkas — and the square's heart converts to the country's largest open-air restaurant. More than 100 food carts offer traditional dishes such as couscous and tagine, along with specialties such as boiled escargot and roasted sheep's head. Surrounding the “show” is a circle of stalls selling freshly squeezed orange juice and dried fruit and nuts. It all adds up to a visual extravaganza, and each “performer” is ready and willing — upon payment of a few dirham — to be photographed.
- Chouwara Tannery (Fes): The largest and busiest of Fes el Bali's traditional tanneries, Chouwara is a scene straight out of medieval times. The skins of camels, cows, goats, and sheep are stretched, cured in a concoction that includes cow urine and pigeon droppings, and laid out to dry. Workers in shorts then stomp around in various earthen pits, where the skins are dyed in natural colors taken from indigo (blue), mint (green), poppy (red), and turmeric (yellow). It makes for a stunning picture from the viewpoints above — strategically placed within the various leather shops — though the rancid smell emanating from the cocktail of chemicals certainly makes you earn it.
- Camel Caravans in the Sand: Whether in the soft glow of the morning light or silhouetted against the often rapidly setting sun, the image of trekking camels is the stuff of postcards and can be captured in Morocco's sand seas, Erg Chebbi and Erg Chigaga. Here you'll find men (dressed in the flowing blue caftans and robes of the famed Tuareg nomads) walking alongside trains of loping one-humped dromedaries into the seemingly never-ending dunes of Saharan sands.
- Jardin Majorelle (Marrakech): Within this popular city sight is the former studio of the original owner, artist Jacques Majorelle, and its brilliant cobalt-blue exterior contrasts strikingly with the surrounding flora of this now botanical garden. Jardin Majorelle's most recent owner was the very colorful and fashionable Frenchman, Yves Saint Laurent, who ensured the small building regularly received a fresh lick of color, sometimes simply described as “Majorelle blue” because of its combination of brightness and depth. The garden maintains its standing as a popular visual for Moroccan postcards and coffee table-style books.
- The Colored Doors of the Medina: Most architectural beauty within Morocco's medinas is to be found behind the doors of its houses, maisons d'hôte, medersas, and mosques. Often overlooked, however, are the doors themselves. The only obvious external feature distinguishing one establishment from the other, the doors of the medina are often a very visual reflection of the status of the family that lives behind it. They can range from simple and practical — often painted in bright blues, greens, reds, or whites — to castlelike creations complete with a brass knocker and mosaic archway. Those in the medinas of Asilah, Chefchaouen, Essaouira, and Fes, along with Rabat's kasbah, are particularly photogenic.
- A Rainbow of Babouches: Morocco's traditional slipper is the leather babouche, which is worn by men and women of all ages and backgrounds. Styles range from pointed to rounded toe in colors covering the whole spectrum of the rainbow. Walk through any market or souk in the country, and you're bound to find the local babouche quarter, where literally hundreds of babouches are displayed from floor to ceiling. Politely ask the shopkeeper if you can photograph his collection, and you may end up with a pair for yourself. Marrakech's Souk Smata and Meknes's Souk es Sebbat are just two market areas devoted to this popular footwear.
- Spice Cones: Spices are an everyday ingredient in the cuisine of Morocco and can be purchased from establishments ranging from small medina stalls to large nationwide supermarket chains. At the front of most spice stalls you'll see the various spices displayed in tall, cone-shape mounds within brass or steel vats. The vibrant color of these mounds of henna (green), chili (orange), paprika (red), and turmeric (yellow) are easy subjects for an image that sums up the exotic sights and smells of the country's medinas.
- Souk des Teinturiers (Marrakech): Marrakech's dyers' souk is one of the most photogenic — and photographed — areas of the city's medina, and with good reason. While jellabah-wearing shopkeepers sit outside their shops, the top of your camera's frame is filled with overhanging fabric and wool, still wet from being recently dyed in bright blues, oranges, reds, and yellows. The colorful subject matter is better some days than others, but give yourself a few consecutive days, and you'll more than likely be able to find your perfect picture.
- Seffarine Square (Fes): This busy square, bordering one side of the spiritual Kairouine Mosque, is home to the ancient city's brass and copper workshops. Although the noise generated by the constant banging and clanging can't be captured on film, there's still plenty of scope for great images. Coppersmiths sit cross-legged while shaping everything from small decorative plates to huge cauldrons, and are generally receptive to camera-wielding visitors requesting a photo or two.
- Jellabahs & Donkeys: A jellabah (a traditional robe with a pointed hood) is still worn throughout the country by both sexes and all ages, and many Moroccans still transport their goods, and themselves, by donkey. An everyday visual, this combination makes for a fascinating picture, especially in the larger towns and cities where the contrast of traditional and modern can be captured as the four-legged subjects plod by a KFC or McDonald's.
Frommer's Favorite Experiences in Morocco
- Meandering Along the Winding Streets of a Medina: Within Morocco's old walled cities, known as medinas, you can immerse yourself in both the country's past and present. Formerly safe havens from invaders and marauders, today's medinas are intoxicating combinations of traditional and modern, where ancient mosques, crowded souks, and workshops of skilled craftsmen sit side by side with trendy maisons d'hôte, candlelit restaurants, and alfresco cafes. Making the time to wander around a medina's maze of streets, alleys, and lanes — including a few inevitable wrong turns and dead ends — will reward you with a greater insight to these beating hearts of Morocco.
- Hearing the Muezzin Call to Prayer: Five times a day, the call of “Al'lah al Akbar” (God is Great) resonates throughout Morocco, calling the faithful to the mosque to pray. The call comes from the top of the mosque's tower, called a minaret, and is traditionally the job of the muezzin, a sort of town crier. Although nowadays it's mostly a taped version played through loud speakers, the call to prayer is still an inspiring, spiritual sound.
- Sunrise from the Top of a Saharan Dune: Whether you've camped in the dunes overnight or slept in a nearby auberge, make sure you witness the beginning of a new Moroccan day from the crest of a dune on the edge of the Sahara. Experiencing the desert's utter tranquillity while feeling the cold, soft grains of sand between your toes can be one of the most serene, invigorating, and reflective moments you'll ever have.
- Celebrating Eid al Fitr (Feast of Fast Breaking): Upon the rise of the new moon after the fasting month of Ramadan, Morocco's Muslims — 99% of the population — mark the end of the fast with 3 days of celebrations and festivities. Traveling in Morocco during this time showcases the country at its most joyous and friendly, with many travelers being invited into local homes to share in the family feast.
- Shopping & Haggling in the Souks: Morocco's craftsmen are some of the most skilled in the world, with generations of families working in ceramics, jewelry, leather, metal, and wood. Many are located within the local markets, called souks, and this is where the shopping bargains are to be found. Bartering is part of the routine for locals, and is an accepted and expected practice within the souks.
- Cafe Culture: Do as the Moroccans do, and take some time out during your day to sit down at a pavement cafe, order a café or thé, and watch the world go by. In a country where bars and pubs are still largely kept out of sight, the cafe — a byproduct of 44 years of French occupation — has become a major social element in Moroccan society. Moroccans come to chat, play endless games of checkers, conduct business meetings, watch football on TV, or simply catch up on the latest local gossip.
- Seeing Snow-Topped Mountains in Africa: You don't normally associate Africa with snow-topped mountain peaks, but travel in Morocco anytime between December and March, and you stand a good chance of sighting the powdery stuff on the taller mountains in both the Middle and High Atlas ranges. For the ultimate bragging right of having skied in Africa, head for the village of Oukaïmeden, home to the continent's highest ski lift and 20km (13 miles) of trails.
The Best Driving Tours in Morocco
- The Dadès Gorge: The 35km (22-mile) drive along this gorge's southern edge is one of the most scenic in Morocco. At the northern end of this drive, the gorge narrows considerably, the road rises and then falls in a series of hairpin bends, and one or two strategically placed cafe-restaurants take advantage of the grand views. The Dadès Gorge is often passed over by most visitors, who are intent on reaching the better-known Todra Gorge to its east or the “bright lights” of Ouarzazate to its west. Those self-drivers, however, who take the time to turn off the highway can often have this beautiful gorge to themselves.
- Ouarzazate to Zagora: This 168km (104-mile) stretch of road offers harsh yet beautiful mountain scenery as it winds up and over rocky, barren Jebel Anaouar before descending into the Dra Valley and its string of palmeraie and oases. The two-lane road is in pretty good shape, and there are plenty of opportunities to pull over and take in the views.
- Asni to Imlil: Formerly a potholed gravel track, the road from Asni to the mountain trail-head village of Imlil is now tarred the whole way. Along this 17km (11-mile) drive are pretty villages clinging to the cliff sides or nestled on bends of the Oued Mizane, all the while watched over by the looming, often snowcapped peak of Jebel Toubkal.
- Tizi n'Test Pass: The drive from Marrakech to Taroudannt takes in some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Morocco. Dissecting the Western High Atlas, the road (the R203) has its fair share of hairpin bends and blind corners, and culminates roughly 134km (83 miles) from Marrakech and 87km (54 miles) from Taroudannt at the 2,092m-high (6,864-ft.) Tizi n'Test pass. From here the sweeping views of the Souss plain to the south are simply breathtaking, while the highest peaks of the Western High Atlas loom to the northwest.
- Tizi n'Tichka Pass: An impressive feat of French road building, this pass lies roughly halfway between Marrakech and Ouarzazate on the tarred and relatively wide N9 highway. Higher than the Tizi n'Test to the west, the 2,260m (7,415-ft.) Tizi n'Tichka offers a harsher yet just as spectacular view, with just as many twists and turns in the road to reach it.
- The Dadès Valley: This 70km (43-mile) stretch of highway is also called the Valley of the Kasbahs, thanks to hundreds of desert castles dotted along its route. A section of the valley is also Morocco's premier rose-growing region, and shops selling all manner of rose-based products line the tarred road. There are plenty of opportunities along the way to pull over for pictures of the closer kasbahs.
- Tetouan to Chefchaouen: This drive leaves behind the Mediterranean plain at Tetouan and almost immediately begins the steady incline into the Rif mountains. Along the way are clusters of family compounds and small villages, inhabited by the resilient Riffians, the women often clothed in their distinctive traditional dress and wide-brimmed hats. The drive is only 59km (37 miles), but in the process the hustle and bustle — and extremely busy traffic — of Tangier and Tetouan is replaced by the chilled-out Riffian vibe.
Dining Bets in Morocco
- Slurping Down a Dozen Oualidia Oysters: The seaside village of Oualidia is home to Morocco's oyster farming industry, established back in 1957. Nowadays more than 200 tons of oysters are harvested annually, most of them consumed domestically. Moroccans and visitors can be seen shucking and slurping down oysters' fleshy insides all along the Atlantic coast and often within the fine-dining establishments of other inland centers.
- Eating Your Way Through Tagine Fatigue: It's the national dish and is the name for both the two-piece clay cooking vessel and the resulting meal. Spend any length of time in Morocco, and you'll become just like everybody else — a discerning tagine connoisseur. Suffering from bouts of tagine fatigue can be countered by discovering delicious variations from the norm, such as lamb tagine with dates and figs, chicken tagine with apricot in saffron sauce, and a vegetable tagine that isn't one big mass of overcooked mush.
- Trying Couscous by Hand: The centerpiece of most sit-down meals in Morocco is couscous. Fine, grain-size pieces of semolina lightly steamed in an aromatic broth until light and fluffy, couscous can be served with any meat or vegetable, or a combination of both. When dining with Moroccans, you'll be encouraged to scoop up a handful — use your “clean” right hand — and roll it into a small ball before tossing it into your mouth. This is one of the main reasons why most dinner tables in Morocco are covered with plastic — and easily cleaned — tablecloths.
- Pouring Your Mint Tea Without Spilling a Drop: It's the national drink — jokingly described to Westerners as “Moroccan whiskey” — and is available anywhere, anytime. Traditionally brewed slowly over a charcoal fire and sweetened by large chunks of sugar, the tea is poured from an arm's length height to aerate the brew. This is to be performed two to three times — and tasted after each pour — before the tea is considered ready to drink.
- The Freshest Seafood: In comparison to most Western countries, Morocco's seafood is very reasonably priced with a relatively healthy range of daily catches. Feast on the freshest seafood — handpicked by yourself and chargrilled while you wait — at various fish markets and restaurants throughout the country.
- A Breakfast Baghrir Smothered in Amlou: A baghrir is an aerated pancake, similar to a large English crumpet. Moroccans and visitors alike drool over a baghrir (still warm from the pan) covered in the argan-based amlou paste and topped with crushed cashew nuts.
The Best Cultural Experiences in Morocco
- Tangier American Legation Museum: In 1786, Morocco became the first country to formally recognize the infant United States of America. The Legation building was presented as a gift by Sultan Moulay Slimane to the American people in 1821 and housed the U.S. ambassador for the next 135 years. Conveniently located within Tangier's medina, the building, now a museum, houses various exhibitions showcasing the connection between the two countries and the many U.S. citizens who have resided in the city over the years. The Paul Bowles room is dedicated to the late writer, while another room displays a copy of a 1789 letter from George Washington to his “Great and Magnanimous Friend, the Emperor of Morocco,” Sultan Moulay Ben Abdallah.
- Mausoleum of Mohammed V (Rabat): The burial shrine of the current king's grandfather and father is a place of reverence for Moroccans and visitors alike. In a dignified building watched over by elaborately dressed Royal Guards, the white onyx tombs of Mohammed V and his sons Hassan II and Moulay Abdellah can be viewed from an upper balcony.
- Ben Youssef Medersa (Marrakech): Marrakech's 16th-century former Koranic school is one of the country's best examples of Islamic architecture. Try to ignore the steady stream of large tour groups, and marvel at the carved cedar facades and exquisite stucco and zellij (tilework). Quiet corners can often be found in one of the upper dormitories' cell-like rooms, where up to 800 students were housed. Apart from learning the Koran, students would also immerse themselves in Islamic law and the sciences.
- Hassan II Mosque (Casablanca): Built to commemorate the former king's 60th birthday, Casablanca's premier house of prayer is one of the largest in the world, able to house 25,000 worshipers under its retractable roof and another 80,000 in the courtyards and squares outside. Non-Muslims can view the mosque's interior on a guided tour, where the country's master craftsmen pulled out all stops to produce an amazing display of plaster, marble, glass, wood, and zellij.
- Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail (Meknes): The burial place of Morocco's longest-serving ruler, this is another of the few spiritual monuments open to non-Muslims. A relatively bland exterior and a series of plain yet serene courtyards lead the visitor to a quiet, cool anteroom, resplendent in exquisite zellij, carved plaster, and marble columns ransacked from nearby Volubilis. From here, visitors can view the tomb from behind a small barrier and reflect on the life of a man both respected and feared by subjects and opponents alike.
- Volubilis: From A.D. 45 to 285, Volubilis was the capital of the Roman province Mauritania Tingitana and the southernmost outpost of the vast empire. Home to at least 20,000 inhabitants during its peak, the city's wealth was built upon exporting vast quantities of olives and wheat back to Rome, as well supplying that city's coliseums with the majority of their gladiator-fighting lions. Virtually deserted by the 11th century and totally flattened by a devastating earthquake in 1755, the ruins of the city were partially excavated and reconstructed during the protectorate era. The site's triumphal arch, forum, and faded but still beautiful mosaics are best discovered during cool early mornings or at sunset.
The Best Markets in Morocco
- Aït Ben Haddou: One of the country's most picturesque kasbahs is also one of its most easily accessed. Just a 15-minute drive from the country's movie capital, Ouarzazate, Aït Ben Haddou has also seen its fair share of Hollywood stars, having been used in movies such as Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site that sees more than 130,000 visitors a year, the kasbah is best visited early in the morning before both the crowds and heat arrive. This is when the first rays of sun light up the kasbah's earthen walls, and imaginative minds can conjure images of a time when this was one of the most important stops on the lucrative West African caravan trade route.
- Fes el Bali: Within this ancient medina's walls lies a medieval city as alive today as it was 1,200 years ago. Its 9,500 alleyways, lanes, and streets are largely pedestrian-only, and one turn can reveal a heaving mass of people, donkeys, mules, and produce, while another brings a calm, quiet, and cool picture of serenity. Considered Morocco's spiritual heart, it's also one of its most creative, with workshops housing skilled craftsmen found throughout. This is more than a must-see — it's a must experience.
- Essaouira: This seaside resort's medina is Morocco's most traveler-friendly. Large enough to wander around for a couple of days but small enough to never get too lost, it's a delightful mix of modern and traditional. There's a range of stylish yet affordable accommodations to suit all budgets and tastes, as well as a good choice of restaurants and cafes, all combining with traditional sights such as the fish market and jeweler's souk. There's also a large square that's perfect for a coffee break and quality people-watching, which leads onto a quaint port where fishermen still bring in the daily catch and mend their nets.
- Kasbah des Oudaïas: Rabat's elevated and compact kasbah looks out over the mouth of the Oued Bou Regreg, and over the centuries it's seen dynasties come and go and has housed a band of notorious pirates. It's a quiet and airy quarter with a few attractions, a quaint maison d'hôte, and both a cafe and viewing platforme that afford sweeping views of the river mouth and adjoining beaches. A welcoming sea breeze usually sifts its way through the kasbah, making for a very pleasant stroll through its winding alleys, past whitewashed houses and brightly colored doors.
- Marrakech: Fes's jet-setting sister is riding a massive tidal wave of popularity at the moment, largely thanks to a sharp rise in international airline routes flying directly from Europe. And who wouldn't want to come here? This city's ancient medina has got it all: shops and souks specializing in most of the country's renowned crafts; a central square, Jemaa el Fna, where the most fascinating spectacle takes place daily; and a plethora of accommodations and restaurants ranging from traditional and conservative to ultrachic and sexy.
- Taroudannt: Enclosed by an almost unbroken circuit of 16th-century walls and largely ambivalent to the proclaimed marvels of tourism, Taroudannt is as authentic as they come. Lacking any great sights, the attraction of coming here is the staunchly Berber town itself. Travelers can walk the streets without any hassle from touts or faux guides, watching the locals go about their everyday lives without the haste of many other Moroccan towns and cities.
The Best Natural Attractions in Morocco
- Cascades d'Ouzoud: The most scenic waterfalls in the country, the Central High Atlas's Cascades d'Ouzoud plunge 100m (328 ft.) into the river below, and the crashing water, surrounding lush woodland, and rural atmosphere have made this a popular tourist stop on the route between Marrakech and Fes. Here you'll also likely encounter the indigenous Barbary macaque monkey.
- Todra Palmeraie & Gorge: Following the Oued Todra to its aboveground source provides the traveler with stunning views of the lush, green Todra Palmeraie. Walking within the palmeraie is a wonderful attack on the senses, as fruit and palm trees overlook crops of grains and vegetables. The palmeraie ceases at the entrance to the majestic Todra Gorge, 300m (984 ft.) in length, 50m (164 ft.) across, and with towering 300m-high (984-ft.) walls. Here you'll find the aboveground beginnings of the Oued Todra, and dipping your toes in its icy waters is the best way to relax and take in one of Morocco's most dramatic natural sights.
- Erg Chebbi & Erg Chigaga: Morocco's two most accessible sand seas are fed by the ever-advancing Sahara Desert, and their color can change from golden to rust red, depending on the time of day. They are reached by crossing a flat, rocky desert plain called the hammada, and your first glimpse of their mountainous dunes is something to treasure. Comparisons between the two ergs is inevitable, but whichever one you choose, the effort to get there is definitely worth it.
- Western High Atlas: The western end of the High Atlas mountain range is home to most of Morocco's — and some of North Africa's — highest peaks, and can be conveniently accessed on a day trip from Marrakech or Ouarzazate. The 4,167m-high (13,671-ft.) Jebel Toubkal is often snowcapped for much of the year, while the area's lower grassy slopes and valleys are delightfully pleasant and cool retreats from the hot plains below.
- Agadir Bay: Golden sand stretches around this crescent-shaped bay for 9km (5 1/2 miles), most of which is protected from the often-strong sea breeze. With relatively calm Atlantic waters lapping on the shore, the bay has attracted many international resort chains on the southern edge of Agadir city. Large numbers of tourists lazing on roped-off private beaches are more reminiscent of Europe than Morocco, but the bay is big enough for everyone and is a warm delight for most of the year.
- Oualidia Lagoon: This crescent-shaped lagoon — fringed by golden sands and protected from the crashing Atlantic waves by a naturally formed breakwater — offers perfect conditions for fishing, sailing, surfing, and swimming. It's also home to Morocco's small oyster-farming industry. Apart from the summer holiday months of July and August, the otherwise sleepy village on the lagoon's shores offers a select range of comfortable accommodations and fine seafood restaurants, adding up to a great spot for few days of relaxation and recreation.
- Middle Atlas Cedar Forests: Unlike the often-barren High Atlas range, the Middle Atlas often comes as a pleasant surprise with its swathes of forested peaks and valleys. The scent of cedar trees abounds here, and a day's exploration around Ifrane and the nearby Mischiflen crater rewards the traveler with glorious views of these majestic trees. There's also the chance to encounter the indigenous Barbary macaque monkey and breathe in some of the freshest and most aromatic air in Morocco.
- Tafraoute & Environs: Found within the Anti-Atlas range, the boulder-strewn mountains and lush palmeraie around the small village of Tafraoute are an artist's dream. Depending on the time of day, the boulders — some seemingly clinging to the cliff face — can be a palette of gold, gray, or pink. Coupled with valleys of green palmeraie and the white and pink blossoms of almond trees, this is one of Morocco's most scenic yet least visited areas.
The Best Shopping in Morocco
- Marrakech Medina: Almost every form of Moroccan arts and crafts can be found within the souks and shops of Marrakech's medina, and it's this gluttony of choice — rather than quality — that makes this the number-one shopping destination for the majority of travelers. From antiques to woodwork, it's all available and ready to be haggled over.
- Fes el Bali: Fes is well known for its high density — and high quality — of carpet emporiums. Although the interested buyer is spoiled for choice, Fes's carpet dealers are like no other, and setting aside enough time for the bargaining and tea-drinking process is essential to a successful purchase. Also within this ancient medina, you'll find a wealth of workshops called foundouks, where you can see many of the traditional crafts still practiced. Fassi potters are located just outside the medina's walls and are among the best in Morocco.
- Souk es Sebbat (Meknes): This is where you'll find some of the country's finest handmade Moroccan slippers, or babouches. Each small stall is jampacked with rows of colored babouches, and the sales pressure is pleasantly minimal.
- Tiznit Medina: Tiznit's Souk des Bijoutiers, or Jeweler's Souk, is a maze of more than 100 small shops selling mostly silver Berber jewelry and accessories. Initially practiced by the town's long-departed Jewish silversmiths, their Berber cousins now continue the tradition within Tiznit's attractive little medina, less than a couple of hours away from modern Agadir.
- Essaouira Medina: Within this seaside resort's increasingly popular medina is an eclectic mix of art galleries, a jeweler's souk, and shops selling everything from local thuya woodcrafts and argan oil-based products to surf wear and handmade leather goods. Reflecting the whole medina itself, the hassle from shop owners is relatively mild, and the whole process is much more pleasant than that in nearby Marrakech.
- Rabat Medina: The major bonus of shopping within Rabat's medina is the lack of hard sell by shopkeepers. Along the main shopping streets of rue Souiqa, Souk Assabbat, and rue des Consuls are shops selling everything from high-quality carpets and handmade jellabahs to hand-carved wood furniture and jewelry.
Planning a Trip in Morocco
Planning a Trip in Morocco
At the crossroads of Africa, Arabia, and Europe, 21st-century Morocco is an exotic land of intriguing culture, mesmerizing landscapes, great shopping, and memorable experiences, and is welcoming Western travelers in record numbers. First-time travelers may know little about the country other than the ancient cities of Fes and Marrakech and the quintessential camel treks through the desert, but there's a lot to consider — how to get there; money, health, and safety concerns; where to stay and what to eat; and what to see and where to shop.
Health & Insurance in Morocco
Staying Healthy
Traveling in Morocco generally presents no serious health concerns. If there is one constant health concern, it's that of traveler's diarrhea, sometimes dubbed “Morocco belly.”
General Availability of Healthcare — No compulsory vaccinations are required to enter Morocco, though travelers arriving from cholera-infected areas may be asked for proof of vaccine, and it's always wise to be up-to-date with your tetanus and typhoid vaccines. Due to the aforementioned stomach distress, it's always good to bring along a course of anti-diarrhea tablets and oral rehydration sachets, although these are usually readily available from the country's pharmacies. Moroccan pharmacists are very well trained, and regularly act as the village doctor. They dispense a far wider range of drugs than their colleagues in the West, and can usually assist with most travelers' ailments. If you need the attention of a doctor, they can usually recommend one for you, and some even have a doctor on-site. Moroccan doctors — private and public — are very professional, with most having studied in France.
The level of hospital care in Morocco tends to be dictated by the location. Privately run polycliniques generally offer first-world facilities and can be found in most larger towns and cities. State hospitals are notoriously underfunded and are best visited only for minor injuries; however, they may be the only option if you are in rural regions. For serious illnesses or injuries, contact your embassy for advice.
Note: Almost without exception, you will have to pay upfront and in cash for any medical treatment and then make a claim on any travel insurance once you return home. Remember to get receipts for any treatment or medication.
Contact the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT; tel. 716/754-4883, or 416/652-0137 in Canada; www.iamat.org) for tips on travel and health concerns in the countries you're visiting, and for lists of local, English-speaking doctors. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (tel. 800/311-3435; www.cdc.gov) provides up-to-date information on health hazards by region or country and offers tips on food safety. Travel Health Online (www.tripprep.com), sponsored by a consortium of travel medicine practitioners, may also offer helpful advice on traveling abroad. You can find listings of reliable medical clinics overseas at the International Society of Travel Medicine (www.istm.org).
Common Ailments
Morocco Belly — Traveler's diarrhea (locally known as Morocco belly) is the most common ailment suffered by Westerners while traveling in Morocco. As with similar destinations around the world, there's only so much that can be done to try to avoid an upset stomach. Some people religiously stay away from street food, others never order a salad and drink only bottled water, while others eat only peeled or cooked food. All of these are good ideas and recommended — however, I've still seen the most cautious of travelers fall victim. It can happen simply because your body isn't used to the unfamiliar cuisine, or perhaps from a little bout of travel fatigue.
For many, however, traveler's diarrhea is a direct result of dehydration. Morocco's summer months are often oppressively hot — especially for those arriving from more temperate climes — and can sometimes be too much for the body to cope with. Even at other times of the year, Morocco's delightfully warm temperature can disguise the strong effect that the sun can have.
Once you arrive, increasing your daily intake of water is the most effective way to keep Morocco belly at bay. I always recommend two large bottles per day, which takes a bit of effort for those not used to drinking so much water. Most tap water is drinkable, but bottled water is available everywhere, inexpensive, and recommended. If you do suffer from a dose of diarrhea, it's important (especially for children) to replace lost body fluids and salts. Oral rehydration salts, available in any pharmacy, will help. Moroccans swear by a tablespoonful of ground cumin washed down with a swig of water.
It pays to adapt your diet as well. Steer clear from fatty foods, caffeine, alcohol, and dairy products (except yogurt). Eat plain boiled rice or plain steamed couscous, yogurt, and dried biscuits. For a serious dose of diarrhea, start taking an antibiotic and an anti-diarrhea agent.
Note: Mountain and desert trekkers should avoid drinking from rivers and streams, as cases of giardiasis are common. If you must, be sure to boil the water sufficiently or purify it with iodine tablets.
Bugs, Bites & Other Wildlife Concerns — The existence of malaria is officially denied by Moroccan authorities, but other sources report very occasional summertime cases in a few of the more northern reaches of the country. Personally, I've never heard of, or seen, anyone suffering from malaria in Morocco. Cover up from dusk until dawn and use good mosquito repellent, and you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
Morocco's Saharan ergs and the surrounding stony hammada are home to a number of scorpions and snakes. Although very few of the country's scorpions are venomous — a notable exception being the decidedly nasty Androctonus australis — the sting can still be extremely painful, especially if you are allergic. The same goes for the country's snakes, which other than the largely nocturnal and terrestrial Saharan horned viper, are mostly nonvenomous. The chances of coming across a snake, however, are slim. All snakes, without exception, are greatly feared by ordinary Moroccans, and no distinction is drawn between venomous and nonvenomous species. Snakes are invariably killed whenever and wherever they are found. To be safe, wear closed footwear when outdoors, and shake them out before putting them on. If bitten, try to stay calm and seek medical help as quickly as possible.
Rabies cases are rare but do occur in Morocco. Vaccination against rabies doesn't mean you're immune, and it's worth seeking medical advice if you're bitten.
High-Altitude Hazards — More travelers are making day trips from Marrakech to the Jebel Toubkal trail head village of Imlil, which sits 1,740m (5,709 ft.) above sea level. Most people are fine at this altitude, but it's worth knowing your limits and realizing some people may be a little short of breath. For hard-core trekkers who don't wish to spend a day in the village acclimatizing, be aware that the Toubkal-Neltner refuge sits at 3,207m (10,521 ft.) and the Jebel Toubkal peak at 4,167m (13,671 ft.). Altitude sickness, or acute mountain sickness (AMS), can occur as low as 2,500m (8,202 ft.), but serious symptoms don't usually occur until above 3,600m (11,811 ft.). The main cause of altitude sickness is going too high too quickly, and can generally be avoided by planning a sensible trek that allows for gradual altitude acclimatization. Given enough time, your body will adapt to the decrease in oxygen at a specific altitude. Trekking up to 3,000m (9,843 ft.), many people will experience mild AMS. The symptoms — headache, appetite loss, extreme fatigue, and nausea — usually start 12 to 24 hours after arrival at altitude and begin to decrease in severity around the third day. It's important to stay properly hydrated when mountain trekking — experts advise 4 to 6 liters of water per day — and avoid tobacco, alcohol, and depressant drugs such as sleeping pills. Remember the easiest and quickest way to lessen AMS is to descend.
Sun/Elements/Extreme Weather Exposure — The weather extremes in Morocco can be surprising for some. During the colder months of November to February, the country can experience European-like cold spells bringing cold, wet, and sometimes snowy weather to many regions. Travel through those same regions from June to September, however, and Morocco fulfils its image as a land fringed by Saharan sands and harsh, barren mountains. It's during these hot months that travelers should try to limit their exposure to the sun — especially during the first few days after arrival and at high altitudes — during the heat of the day. Wear a hat and use sunscreen with a high protection factor (SPF 30+), and remember that children are more susceptible to heat exhaustion and dehydration than adults.
What to Do If You Get Sick Away from Home
In Morocco, you will have to pay all medical costs upfront and in cash. Before leaving home, find out what medical services your health insurance covers. To protect yourself, consider buying medical travel insurance.
Very few health insurance plans pay for medical evacuation back to your country of origin. A number of companies offer medical evacuation services anywhere in the world. If you're ever hospitalized more than 240km (150 miles) from home, MedjetAssist (tel. 800/527-7478 in the U.S.; www.medjetassistance.com) will pick you up and fly you to the hospital of your choice virtually anywhere in the world in a medically equipped and staffed aircraft 24 hours day, 7 days a week. Annual memberships are $225 individual, $350 family; you can also purchase short-term memberships.
Staying Safe
Morocco is a relatively safe country in which to travel, and the majority of Moroccans are hospitable, friendly, and law abiding. That said, there are some issues that travelers should be aware of.
In April 2007, two suicide bombings took place outside the U.S. Consulate and the private American Language Center, respectively. There is some conjecture as to whether these were the work of an organized terror group with international links. In 2003, a series of coordinated suicide bombings also occurred in Casablanca, targeting buildings with either Jewish or Western connections. Both of these incidents provoked outrage and disbelief amongst ordinary Moroccans. Although most sympathize with the plight of their Arab neighbors in Palestine and Iraq, there is an accepted distinction between Western travelers and their governments' policies. Other than not coming to Morocco at all — which would be an unnecessary overreaction — travelers are best advised to keep up-to-date with current events during their travels. Before you depart, check for travel advisories for your home country.
Violent crime is generally minimal in Morocco, although there have been incidents of tourists being robbed at knife point in various cities and at nighttime on some tourist beaches. Most crimes that occur are acts of sexual harassment and nonconfrontational theft. Pickpocketing, purse snatching, and theft from vehicles are the most common. These are more likely to occur in the country's cities and large towns, crowded medinas, bus and train stations, and beaches, but it pays to be vigilant everywhere. Be particularly alert when withdrawing money from ATMs, and be aware of some of the common tactics used by petty criminals, such as distracting you with questions and small talk while an accomplice is deftly emptying your pockets or backpack. If your hotel offers a safekeeping area, use it. Otherwise, take away the temptation that might present itself by locking valuables in your bag or suitcase.
Westerners driving rental cars generally stick out and are easily spotted by thieves, so it goes without saying that you shouldn't leave anything of value in an unattended car.
Traveling by train or long-distance bus is generally considered safe, though it pays to keep one eye on your luggage at each stop. Women travelers should look for seats close to those occupied by Moroccan women. The country's taxis — both petit and grand — are considered generally crime-free, but may be poorly maintained and driven recklessly (a request of “beshwïya” [“slowly”] may or may not be heeded). Traveling on a crowded city bus can be unsafe.
Hustlers & Faux Guides — Morocco's infamous hustlers and unofficial guides come in many different guises, from baby-face students to well-dressed gentlemen. Hustlers or touts tend to pounce on travelers who are looking lost or newly arrived, and will proceed to tell all sorts of horror stories such as that the buses aren't operating, the hotel is closed, your desired destination isn't safe, or you are walking in the wrong direction. These men are tricksters, con men, thieves, even drug dealers. Their sole mission is to glean you of your money, and they are a very unfortunate part of many travelers' tales. Leading you to particular hotels, shops, and sometimes even restaurants usually means some commission coming their way. Unofficial guides — called faux guides — are generally less intimidating, if not slightly more annoying. For most, guiding is the only profession they know, and the only reason they aren't officially qualified is for socioeconomic reasons. Some can be very entertaining and knowledgeable, but most are very persistent to get any business from you, sometimes resorting to a hustler's tactics. Although a stronger police presence in recent years (thanks largely to the establishment of the Brigade Touristique) has removed a lot of hustlers and faux guides from the streets, it can appear at times that they have found other ways and means to continue their profession. Travelers that I've spoken to recently related incidences where they encountered hustlers and faux guides on the trains, especially those traveling to Fes and Marrakech, and on the ferries coming from mainland Spain. Bus and train stations, largely unpatrolled by the Brigade Touristique, continue to be a hangout for many.
Getting rid of hustlers and faux guides can become a difficult and frustrating task. Some confrontations can become ugly, with the hustler becoming verbally abusive and accusing the traveler of racism toward Muslims. The best approach is to keep your sense of humor and initially ignore the unwanted attention entirely, followed by continuous, polite, and direct rebukes if necessary.
Drugs — Morocco has strict penalties for those caught purchasing, using, or dealing drugs. This includes kif, as the local marijuana is called. However, kif is smoked by many Moroccan men, especially in the northwest part of the country. Historically, the Moroccan police took a fairly lenient attitude toward its consumption, but in recent years there have been sporadic but concerted efforts to curb its use, including the arrest of foreigners caught indulging. Spanish border police are also known to prosecute travelers (suspected as traffickers) caught in possession of kif as they enter the country from Morocco.
Police — The Moroccan police force is still styled on the French system, comprising the Surété National, who wear navy blue uniforms and are responsible for enforcing the law in urban areas, and the Gendarmerie, who wear gray uniforms and are to be found in the rural areas and at major road junctions and town entrances. In some of the major cities, such as Fes, Marrakech, and Tangier, there is a Brigade Touristique, which has been specifically formed to curtail the actions of touts and faux guides. Generally, law-enforcement officers in Morocco are polite to travelers, although they often ask to see your identification, preferably a passport, and, if driving, obviously a driver's license. Their overall helpfulness, however, can be limited, especially concerning action over theft. Usually, they are quite happy to complete a police report for travel-insurance purposes, but actual efforts to retrieve the stolen goods may be laborious at best.
Fast Facts in Morocco
Area Codes — A recent overhaul of all phone numbers, landline and mobile, in Morocco has seen an additional number added to every phone number. Listed below are the country's main area codes, with their now obsolete former codes in parentheses:
Casablanca: 0522 (022)
Oualidia: 0523 (023)
Marrakech, Essaouira, and Ouarzazate: 0524 (024)
Agadir, Tafraoute, and Taroudannt: 0528 (028)
Erfoud, Fes, Meknes, and Midelt: 0535 (035)
Rabat: 0537 (037)
Tangier, Asilah, and Chefchaouen: 0539 (039)
Automobile Organizations — There are no auto clubs or roadside assistance organizations in Morocco.
Business Hours — The Moroccan working day is a combination of both Western and Eastern cultures. For example, most Moroccans eat three meals a day at the usual mealtimes of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, most will also work from 9am to 7pm, with short breaks during the day to pray and an extended lunch break. Shops in the medina will usually open at 8 or 9am and stay open until 8 or 9pm. Business hours for the country's banks are Monday to Friday 8:15am to 3:45pm, though during Ramadan these are shortened from 9am to 2:30pm, depending on the bank. Government departments work from Monday to Thursday 8:30am to noon and 2 to 6:30pm, and Fridays 8:30 to 11:30am and 3 to 6:30pm.
Drinking Laws — Contrary to preconceived notions, liquor is available throughout much of Morocco. Many Moroccans — mainly men — drink, but do so privately. The legal drinking age for Moroccans is 18, but for visitors this is a gray area, as most establishments will serve you no matter what the age (within reason, of course). Moroccan bars, called brasseries, are usually smoky, dingy drinking dens frequented by Moroccan men and prostitutes. Most top-end restaurants and many maisons d'hôte will also offer alcohol, as will nightclubs in the resorts of Agadir and Marrakech. The business hours of these establishments vary from town to town, but you'll find most restaurants are closed by 11pm and local brasseries by midnight, while nightclubs and hotel bars may stay open until 4 or 5am, especially in tourist areas. To find a shop selling alcohol, it's best to ask at your hotel reception desk, or locate a branch of the national supermarket chains Acima and Marjane, mentioned where applicable in the “Shopping” sections throughout this book. Drinking alcohol in public is frowned upon and downright ignorant if practiced near a mosque.
Electricity — Electricity is generally reliable and available throughout Morocco, barring obvious places such as the top of Jebel Toubkal or in the dunes of central Morocco. Moroccan power points accept the European two-pin plug only, and run on a 220V/55Hz current. International adaptors are very hard to find within the country, so bring your own.
Embassies & Consulates — The following embassies are in Rabat: Canada, 13 bis rue Jaâfar as Sadiq, Agdal (tel. 0537/687400; www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/morocco); South Africa, 34 rue des Saadiens, Hassan (tel. 0537/706760; www.dfa.gov.za); U.K., 28 av. SAR Sidi Mohammed, Souissi (tel. 0537/633333; www.ukinmorocco.fco.gov.uk); and U.S., 2 av. Marrakech (aka av. Mohammed el Fassi), Ministères (tel. 0537/762265; http://rabat.usembassy.gov).
The U.S. also maintains a consulate in Casablanca, 8 bd. Moulay Youssef (tel. 0522/264550; http://casablanca.usconsulate.gov), as does the U.K., 36 rue de la Loire, Polo (tel. 0522/857400), although all consular services to British citizens have recently been transferred to the embassy in Rabat.
The U.K. operates another consulate in Tangier at Trafalgar House, 9 rue de l'Amerique du Sud (tel. 0539/936939), and has honorary consuls in Marrakech, at Résidence Taib, 55 bd. Zerktouni, Guéliz (tel. 0524/420846), and Agadir, c/o Complete Tours, 3rd floor Immeuble Oumlil, 26 av. Hassan II (tel. 0528/840469).
Australians are provided consular assistance by the Canadian embassy, or must otherwise contact the Australian embassy in France, 4 rue Jean Rey, Paris (tel. 1405/93300; www.dfat.gov.au).
Irish citizens are represented by their embassy in Portugal at Rua da Imprensa a Estrela 1-4, Lisbon (tel. 121/3929440; www.dfa.ie). There are also two honorary consuls of Ireland in the COPRAGRI Building, Boulevard Moulay Ismail, Km 6.3 Route de Rabat, Aïn Sebaa, Casablanca (tel. 0522/660306), and in the Hotel Kenzi Europa, bd. du 20 Août, Agadir (tel. 0528/821212).
New Zealanders are represented by their embassy in Spain at Calle del Pinar 7, Madrid (tel. 915/230226; www.nzembassy.com), but in an emergency can call on the U.K. Moroccan embassy or consulates.
Emergencies — In any emergency, dial tel. 19 from anywhere in Morocco, which will connect you with the local police. For a public ambulance, dial tel. 15. On the other end of the line, however, may be someone who speaks only Moroccan Arabic or French at best. In the medinas of the major cities, ask a local shopkeeper to find you the Brigade Touristique.
Insurance — Purchasing travel insurance is a good idea for travelers coming to Morocco. In particular, I recommend coverage for lost luggage and medical expenses and emergencies. Inshal'lah (God willing), I've yet to experience it firsthand, but I've come across many travelers in Morocco who arrived safely, but without their luggage. As the majority of travelers are only visiting the country for a maximum of 2 weeks, most lost luggage that does eventually arrive sits at the arrival airport until the traveler returns to board his or her departure flight. The ensuing cost of purchasing necessities such as clothing and toiletries can be reimbursed against most insurance policies, and helps to counter some of the frustration and inconvenience. Insurance coverage for medical expenses also makes sense, when you take into account the high number of road accidents (most if not all of your traveling will be by road) and the amount of walking that usually takes place while sightseeing (medina pavements can be uneven and slippery).
For information on traveler's insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and medical insurance while traveling, please visit www.frommers.com/planning.
Internet Access — Internet access is very good throughout Morocco, with most towns and cities well served by public Internet cafes, called cybercafés.
Language — Moroccan Arabic (sometimes called Darija) is the country's official language. A distinctive dialect of the worldwide Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), it is largely a spoken, rather than written, language. Newspapers and official documentation will therefore usually be written in MSA. Moroccan Arabic is constantly evolving, and includes words adapted from Spanish, English, and French. French is widely spoken throughout the country, and is the language of business, commerce, and, to a large degree, tourism. English is becoming a popular language to learn in universities, and is spoken frequently in heavily touristed areas. The regional languages of the country's Berbers are widely spoken in the Atlas mountains and central Morocco, although French and some English will be spoken in the more touristed areas. A Moroccan Arabic Conversation Guide by Mohamed Lamzoudi and Jacques Tronel (Librairie du Monde Accueil, Casablanca; www.limactuel.com) is a well-researched and easy-to-read phrasebook that is available at most airports in the country or via their website.
Laundromats — Very few laundromats are found within Morocco, and even fewer are self-service. Most Moroccans wash their everyday clothes at home, and use dry cleaners (m'sbana in Arabic, pressing in French) for their suits, jellabahs, and other fine dresswear.
Legal Aid — If you need legal assistance, your first (and only) option is to contact your embassy or consulate. Although consular officials can't serve as attorneys or give legal advice, they can usually provide a list of local attorneys and help you find legal representation. Remember that it is illegal to bribe a police officer or public official in Morocco — even though the practice is commonplace. If you have been dealing with a local guide, sometimes they can help with translation, though they will be very wary of treading on the police's toes. There are no community or free legal aid organizations in Morocco.
Mail — The Moroccan postal service (Maroc Post) is fairly reliable, with postcards and letters taking between 1 and 3 weeks to international destinations, depending on where you post from. A postcard or small letter costs 7dh to 8dh to Europe, 9dh to 12dh to the U.S. and Canada, and 10dh to 15dh to Australia. A package weighing 1 kilogram (2.2 lb.) costs around 110dh to Europe, 150dh to the U.S. and Canada, and 195dh to Australia and New Zealand. Post offices are open Monday to Friday 8am to 4:15pm, and Saturday 8 to 11:45am. Stamps (timbres) can be purchased from post offices and sometimes from souvenir shops and tabacs, which also sell cigarettes and sometimes newspapers. Separate parcel counters are found in all post offices, and all packages need to be inspected beforehand. DHL and FedEx offices are located at various cities within the country.
Newspapers & Magazines — All major newspapers and magazines in Morocco are in either Arabic (MSA) or French. Weekly international editions of The Guardian, Herald Tribune, and Time magazine can sometimes be found at newspaper vendors in the major cities.
Photographic Needs — Photo stores can be found all over Morocco. Although the number of these shops offering digital services — such as copying images to CD and selling digital accessories — is increasing, for the moment most shops' services usually revolve around film-processing services and the supply of film (usually only Fuji and/or Kodak, and only 100 ASA) and sometimes camera batteries.
Police — For police assistance, dial tel. 19 anywhere in the country.
Smoking — Smoking is common and an accepted part of the Moroccan lifestyle and thus there aren't many designated nonsmoking areas to be found. This isn't so much of an inconvenience at the outdoor cafes and restaurants, but if you are sensitive to smoke, then it's worth checking out the haze in an indoor cafe or restaurant before you sit down. This is also relevant when staying in the country's cheaper hotels, where it might be an idea to check out your room for cigarette smell before completing the check-in formalities. Thankfully, it's considered impolite to smoke inside public transport.
Taxes — The main indirect tax in Morocco is a value-added tax (VAT), with rates of between 7% and 14% included in the cost of basic goods and services, including those offered in all restaurants and hotels. A recently introduced Tourist Promotion Tax (TPT) is supposed to be added onto the cost of your accommodations. I found some accommodations already doing this, some are adding it on to your bill at the end of your stay, and some are not even aware of it. The amount is between 10dh and 50dh per person per night, depending on the grade of accommodations.
Time — Morocco is on Greenwich Mean Time year-round, which equates to 4 or 5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the U.S., depending on if daylight saving time is being observed. The Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla keep Spanish time, which is GMT plus 1 hour in winter, and GMT plus 2 hours in summer. Remember to keep this in mind when traveling by ferry from/to the Spanish mainland.
Tipping — Tipping is expected by Moroccans for every service provided to you, whether you requested the service or not. Sometimes those asking for a tip are bordering on begging, considering the assistance or service — if any — that was given. However, it's best not to fight this national habit and rather enjoy your time with no hassle. The expected minimum tip for any meal or drink is 10%. For informal services such as parking attendants and luggage porters, I usually give 5dh to 10dh. If asked to tip when taking a photo, I usually pay 10dh to 20dh. For guiding services it depends on how much guidance was given and whether it was any good or not. For official guides, budget on a 10% tip per person. For faux guides who have perhaps assisted with a small navigational problem, 5dh to 10dh is enough. For other services such as gas (petrol) attendants and taxi drivers, I usually round up to the nearest 5 dirham. These are relatively small amounts and are worth shelling out to both create harmony between Moroccans and tourists and save you from continuous hassle and agitation.
Toilets — There are very few public restrooms in Morocco, and those that are anywhere near hygienic I've included in this guide. Most restaurants will allow you to use their toilette if you ask politely. Sometimes there might be a small fee, or if there is an attendant keeping them clean, 2dh to 3dh is expected.
Visas — See the Moroccan Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation website (www.maec.gov.ma; click on “Consular Action” in the English version) for its current list of visa-exempt countries and a visa application form (in French). Currently, the most notable nationalities that do require a visa are Israeli, South African, and Zimbabwean citizens, who need to apply at a Moroccan embassy or consulate for a 90-day single-entry (around $30/£15) or double-entry (around $50/£25) visa.
Water — Much of Morocco's water is potable but may upset Westerners' stomachs. Bottled drinking water is available everywhere and is inexpensive, although some restaurants charge an exorbitant markup. From any street-side shop, a 1.5-liter bottle of water will cost no more than 10dh.
Entry Requirements & Customs in Morocco
Passports
Every non-Moroccan visitor to Morocco requires a current passport, valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry and with a minimum of two blank pages. Children traveling on a parent's passport must have a recent photograph affixed to the passport; if this isn't done, the whole family is at risk of being denied entry. All visitors are given a 90-day entry upon arrival. Extensions are possible, but time-consuming. You must visit the nearest Préfécture de Police (police headquarters) with your passport, four passport-size photos, and a letter from your embassy requesting a visa extension on your behalf. The process can take hours or even days, and usually involves an indefinite amount of bureaucracy depending on the whim of the police involved. It may prove easier to simply cross over to the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta or Melilla in Morocco's north or across the Straits to mainland Spain and reenter Morocco after a day or two. Moroccan immigration officers are usually very courteous, if at times a bit rigid. Sometimes there are not enough of them on duty at the major airports and long queues ensue. An arrival form needs to be completed for immigration. This form asks for your name, date of birth, passport details, occupation, your hotel address in Morocco, and the amount of money you have with you. State how much cash you are carrying, along with any credit/debit cards you have.
Note: An occupation of “journalist” or “writer” entered on your arrival form can potentially lead to extended questioning as to your intentions while in Morocco. Choosing an occupation less threatening is advised. It's always best to carry around your passport — or at least a copy of the most relevant pages — while in Morocco. Police checks are numerous throughout the country, and usually the only thing they want to do is look at your passport, ask where you're from, and welcome you to Morocco.
See www.frommers.com/planning for information on how to obtain a passport. For other information, please contact the following agencies:
For Residents of Australia — Contact the Australian Passport Information Service at tel. 131-232, or visit the government website at www.passports.gov.au.
For Residents of Canada — Contact the central Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).
For Residents of Ireland — Contact the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh).
For Residents of New Zealand — Contact the Passports Office at tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100, or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.
For Residents of the United Kingdom — Visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the United Kingdom Passport Service at tel. 0870/521-0410 or search its website at www.ukpa.gov.uk.
For Residents of the United States — To find your regional passport office, either check the U.S. State Department website or call the National Passport Information Center toll-free number (tel. 877/487-2778) for automated information.
Visas
Most visitors to Morocco don't need a visa, including citizens from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union, including Ireland. Currently, the most notable exceptions are Israeli, South African, and Zimbabwean citizens.
Customs
What You Can Bring into Morocco — All visitors to Morocco may bring in, free of duty, the following: (1) tobacco (200 cigarettes/100 cigarillos/25 cigars), (2) 1 liter of alcohol, (3) 150ml of perfume/250ml of eau de toilette, (4) 2,000dh worth of gifts, (5) personal electrical and photographic goods, musical instruments, and nonmotorized sports equipment.
What You Can Take Out of Morocco — Visitors are allowed to travel out of Morocco with locally made crafts and souvenirs, including a reasonable number (not in the dozens) of fossilized, ornamental, and semiprecious stones. Objets d'art and antiques theoretically require signed authorization from the Ministry of Culture, though this is only required for expensive or large items, and will be taken care of if purchased from any reputable shop owner. Note: It is forbidden to import/export the national currency, the Moroccan dirham.
For further details regarding Moroccan customs procedures, visit the Moroccan Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation website (www.maec.gov.ma; click on “Consular Action” in the English version).
What You Can Take Home from Morocco — For information on what you're allowed to bring home, contact one of the following agencies:
U.S. Citizens: U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667; www.cbp.gov).
Canadian Citizens: Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada, or 204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).
U.K. Citizens: HM Customs & Excise at tel. 0845/010-9000 (from outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or consult their website at www.hmce.gov.uk.
Australian Citizens: Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263, or log on to www.customs.gov.au.
New Zealand Citizens: New Zealand Customs, the Customhouse, 17-21 Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington (tel. 04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).
Medical Requirements
No compulsory vaccinations are required to enter Morocco, though travelers arriving from cholera-infected areas may be asked for proof of vaccine. It is always wise to be up-to-date with your immunization status for tetanus, polio, diphtheria, typhoid, rabies, and hepatitis A.
The only inoculation requirement is a yellow fever vaccination certificate for travelers 2 years of age and over entering Morocco within 6 days of leaving an infected country. Visitors who travel through or disembark in these areas are advised to be inoculated against the disease before visiting Morocco.
Moroccan authorities officially deny the existence of malaria, but other sources report very occasional summertime cases in a few of the more northern reaches of the country. Rabies cases are very uncommon, but do still occur. Vaccination against rabies doesn't provide absolute immunity, however, so it's worth seeking medical advice before you leave, should you be concerned.
Visitor Information in Morocco
Morocco's national tourism board, the Office National Marocain de Tourisme (ONMT), maintains several offices abroad including:
In the U.S.: 20 E. 46th St., Ste. 1201, New York, NY 10017 (tel. 212/557-2520), and P.O. Box 2263, Lake Buena Vista, Orlando, FL 38230 (tel. 407/827-5335).
In the U.K.: 205 Regent St., London, W1R 7DE (tel. 020/7437-0073).
In Australia: 11 West St., North Sydney, NSW, 2060 (tel. 02/9922-4999).
In Canada: Place Montréal Trust, 1800 rue McGill College, Ste. 2450, Montreal, PQ H3A 2A6 (tel. 514/842-8111).
These are really only general information offices and will be able to offer you some glossy pamphlets, perhaps a map of Morocco, and a list of tour operators offering trips to Morocco. You're as likely to get just as much useful information from their websites, www.visitmorocco.org and www.tourisme.gov.ma.
Within Morocco, you'll find an ONMT office, or a small Syndicat d'Initiative bureau, in most cities and large towns. Look for their addresses and alternative, destination-specific options in each relevant chapter's “Fast Facts.” Unfortunately, their usefulness mirrors that of the international offices. Some useful websites include:
- www.oncf.ma: Train timetables and ticket prices.
- www.map.ma/eng: English-language website for Maghreb Arabe Presse.
- http://morocco.marweb.ma: English-language Moroccan online newspaper.
- www.yacout.info: An excellent English-language e-magazine covering a wide range of topics and issues in Morocco.
- www.legation.org: Among other things, the website of the Tangier American Legation Museum provides information on upcoming cultural and social events, and provides a link to “Friends of Morocco,” an organization fostering good relations between Americans and Moroccans.
- http://riadzany.blogspot.com: Moroccan lifestyle e-zine based in Fez.
- http://theviewfrommorocco.blogspot.com: Includes reviews on Moroccan restaurants, bars, nightlife, and day tours.
- http://moroccankitchen.blogspot.com: The blog of two Moroccan women who operate a riad in Fes; includes recipes.
- www.amazigh-voice.com: Berber culture, history, and politics.
For Morocco maps, I've always used the Morocco GeoCenter World Country Map, which includes distances (in kilometers only) between most urban centers and major road junctions on major and secondary roads. It's available at Maps Worldwide (www.mapsworldwide.com) and Stanford's (www.stanfords.co.uk).
Guide or No Guide? — Any conversation amongst travelers in Morocco inevitably leads to relating personal experiences about the country's guides. Some people are overflowing in praise, while others are decidedly not. The first question I'm often asked is, “Do I need a guide?” The answer largely depends on what you want to see and how much time you have to see it. If you're an independent traveler with plenty of days to spare and a decent map in your hands, then even the seemingly unnavigable medinas of Fes and Marrakech can be explored without a guide, taking into account the numerous wrong turns and dead ends that you will no doubt experience. Unfortunately, each time you stop to consult a map or your guidebook, you'll likely be interrupted by a steady stream of hustlers and faux guides ever eager to assist you.
If you're on more of a time constraint, then hiring a guide for at least half a day is recommended, especially for Fes and Marrakech. At the least, this allows you to get oriented before setting out on your own exploration. Personally, I don't think a guide is necessary for any of Morocco's other medinas or cities. Keep in mind that hustlers and faux guides tend to leave you alone when you are in the company of an official guide.
If you do hire a guide, I strongly recommend hiring an official guide. Official guides have been properly trained, vetted by the Moroccan National Tourism Board (ONMT), and (in the case of English-speaking guides) are understood easily. All of these benefits are not guaranteed in the case of a faux guide. Official guides will also be more relaxed and will walk alongside you while dispensing their knowledge. Faux guides, fearful of incurring the wrath of the Brigade Touristique , usually walk two or three steps in front of their clients so as to not appear as if they are guiding. It's true that many faux guides are simply looking for work in a country with high unemployment and low social welfare and are unfairly treated. However, the Moroccan tourism authorities have recently recruited and licensed more guides, and I feel it is only fair to employ the services of those who have made the effort to become official. Official guides can be hired from tourist offices and most good hotels, and are mentioned throughout this guide. They can identify themselves by a brass badge or laminated card. Decide beforehand what you want to see and do, and then discuss this with your guide before agreeing on an itinerary and cost.
It's true that guides — official or otherwise — receive up to 40% commission from shopkeepers in return for bringing them clients. This commission is invariably added on to the cost of your purchase. If you don't want to visit any shops, then be clear and firm about this before setting out with your guide. If you do want to visit some shops, however, perhaps concentrate less on how much commission your guide will receive and more on what a great opportunity it is to find out more about the item.
The current rate for an official guide is 300dh for half a day and 500dh for a full day. This is not a per-person cost, though if you are a large group then it's expected you will add on a bit more, say 100dh. If you are being guided for a whole day, then you are expected to pay for the guide's lunch. If you are eating at one of the guide's preferred restaurants, however, lunch will most probably be given to the guide for free. For a guided tour devoid of any shops — and hence the chance for the guide to earn any extra money — I advise offering to pay more for his services before you depart. This will hopefully negate any sly attempts to direct you into a shop while on tour. Should you be pleased with the service provided by your guide, feel free to tip as a form of encouragement for the guide to continue with his high standards and low hassle.
Getting Around in Morocco
Getting around this compact country is pretty straightforward, thanks to a far-reaching network of public transport. Rail, bus, and collective — or grands — taxis pretty much cover most of the country, with larger transit-vans and Berber trucks covering the more inaccessible areas.
However, although the coverage may be good, it always pays to have a bit of “Moroccan time” up your sleeve, as delays can sometimes occur on public transport.
By Train
The state-run Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF; tel. 0890/203040 within Morocco; www.oncf.ma) operates a safe and comfortable rail network connecting most cities west of the Atlas Mountains, including Fes, Meknes, Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech. ONCF's subsidiary, Supratours , runs buses linking some other destinations to the rail network, such as Essaouira. Rail travel in Morocco is quite cheap when compared to that in Europe and North America. A first-class ticket on the network's longest journey — the 15-hour, 825km (513-mile) trip from Oujda to Marrakech — costs 420dh.
Timetables rarely change, although special schedules are arranged during Ramadan and the two subsequent festival times of Eid al Fitr and Eid al Adha. Timetables are usually posted within the station, or can be viewed on the ONCF website (horaries for schedules, tarifs for the fare). Station counter staff can also print the schedule between two particular stations. Punctuality and reliability can be hit or miss on the network, with trains operating with Swiss-like precision at times, and other times running frustratingly late. There are two types of trains, Train Navette Rapide (TNR), also called ordinaire, and Train Rapide Climatisé (TRC), also called train à supplement or train noble. Almost all intercity services are TRC trains, which are air-conditioned and offer both first- and second-class travel. Drinks and snacks are available on the train, and smoking is (theoretically) not allowed in compartments, just the carriageway.
First-class compartments have six seats; second-class ones have eight. All overnight trains have couchettes, and some also offer sleeper cars. Couchettes consist of four or six bunk beds in each compartment, while sleeper cars offer one or two beds, a toilet, and washbasin. Each couchette and sleeper car has its own attendant for security, who'll also wake you in time for your stop. Couchettes and sleepers must be booked in advance, with a couchette costing an additional 90dh on top of your ticket, and sleeper cars costing no more than 350dh, depending on the length of the journey. Reservations can be made from within Morocco only, and can be made 2 months in advance for couchettes, while first-class tickets for other journeys can be reserved 1 month in advance. Tickets prebooked over the phone must be collected from the departure station at least 4 hours before departure. Second-class seats can't be prebooked. Other than that, you can simply purchase your ticket at the station before departure, or even on the train, although this incurs a supplement. Prebooking is especially recommended for overnight couchettes and for travel during Eid al Fitr and Eid al Adha. Also, first-class fares on many routes can get sold out, so it's worth getting to the station early; even second class on some routes is often overbooked and commuters can be left standing in the aisle. All tickets are sold at train stations — payable in cash only — and authorized travel agents. The flip side of being so organized is that many Moroccans are unaware of, or don't understand, the concept of prereserved seating, and you may well find someone in your seat. If you have any difficulty in procuring your allotted seat, there are conductors moving through the trains regularly.
Tickets are valid for 5 days and are worth hanging onto during the journey, as conductors check them on the train and often collect them at the arrival station. A return (retour) ticket is exactly double the price of a one-way (aller simple), and any journey that includes a Supratours service (called a Road & Rail ticket) can only be booked one way.
There are a few reductions and discounts available. The Billet Week-end offers a 25% reduction on return journeys of a minimum of 360km (223 miles) made over the same weekend. The Carte Fidelité, which costs 149dh and is valid for 1 year, is for those 26 years old and over and gives a 50% discount on 16 one-way, second-class journeys. The Carte Jeune costs 99dh and offers the same discount for those 25 and under. There are also reductions available for small children, seniors, and families. You can inquire at any train station; you'll need a photocopy of your passport and a passport-size photograph.
Most luggage, including surfboards and bicycles, can be taken on as carry-on. Moroccan train conductors are friendly, well informed, and helpful. They usually announce — in Arabic and French — each station well in advance, but many stations are poorly signposted, so it pays to stay alert as to when your station should be coming up; don't be afraid to ask your fellow passengers. Platforms on some stations are only accessed by walking across the tracks. The stations themselves usually offer luggage storage for up to 24 hours for 10dh per item.
By Bus
Buses are the cheapest and most popular way to get around Morocco, and they have by far the greatest reach. A complex network of private bus companies crisscrosses the country, with many competing lines covering the most popular routes. The “big four” are Compagnie de Transports Marocains (CTM), SATAS, Trans Ghazala, and Supratours. CTM (tel. 0522/541010; www.ctm.ma) is the privatized national carrier and the most reliable. Their network covers the entire country, and buses depart on fixed schedules with numbered seating. SATAS and Trans Ghazala are the best of the private lines, operating largely in the country's south and north, respectively. Supratours (tel. 0522/298163 central reservations; www.supratours.ma) operates in conjunction with the national rail carrier, ONCF. Their routes supplement ONCF's schedule to destinations south of Marrakech (including Agadir and Essaouira) and to the northern cities of Tetouan and Nador, and are direct point-to-point services. All of these companies offer well-maintained, air-conditioned buses, and due to seat numbering, don't oversell. They also, theoretically, only pick up and drop off from designated stops.
All the other private companies operate with smaller fleets, often running on a definitive timetable and departing only when the driver and his attendants think the bus is sufficiently full. These operators are very competitive for business, often paying commission to hustlers and touts. Their fleets can be poorly maintained, with vehicles driven recklessly in order to arrive at particular destinations before their competitor. Their advantage over the bigger companies is their access to the country's smaller villages and more inaccessible towns.
Some companies, CTM included, operate overnight services on long-distance routes, such as between Fes and Marrakech; Casablanca and Tangier; and Casablanca and Er Rachidia. From June to September, these services are a popular — and cooler — alternative to traveling during the day.
Fares can be as little as 40dh for the 1-hour journey between Fes and Meknes, and even the 12- to 15-hour long-haul routes cost no more than 300dh.
Most towns in Morocco have a main bus station, called a gare routière. This can sometimes be similar to the Western perception of a bus station, but can also be a simple patch of ground. More often than not, it will be located some distance from the center, but there are usually petits taxis parked nearby. Some cities have more than one gare routière. This is in addition to CTM, which largely operates from its own terminals, located outside its offices. Supratours buses operate either from the train station or from their own office. In the larger towns and cities, the gare routière can feel intimidating upon arrival. Each bus company will have a ticket counter, usually displaying their departures in the window. Normally upon arrival, Western travelers are approached by ticket touts called courtiers. Although overwhelming initially, courtiers do usually know their stuff and can be handy in some of the busier stations. Advise your destination, and you will be directed to the appropriate ticket counter. A courtier earns a small commission for every passenger he brings to the company, but he will also expect a small tip from you for his service. To get the most value out of this service, and some peace of mind, I always ask to be shown to the particular bus that I will be traveling on before I purchase my ticket.
It's worth trying to buy your ticket in advance, especially if you're traveling to a popular destination or wish to travel with one of the companies mentioned above. At the very least, try to arrive early in the day to give yourself the most options. This is particularly wise in the smaller towns, where buses traveling through are already full and therefore don't stop.
When traveling with the companies mentioned above, luggage is usually charged extra per piece. You should be given a receipt, and your luggage will be stowed for you. With the private companies, you are normally charged a per-item fee, paid to an independent porter. Either way, it's never normally any more than 10dh per piece. Most gare routière and CTM stations have a luggage storage where you can leave your bags for up to 24 hours for around 10dh per piece.
In rural areas, such as the High Atlas villages, there may be no bus or grand taxi services. In their place you will normally find trucks or lorries (camions) and transit vans (transits). They operate pretty much the same as grands taxis and can be a fun and memorable way to travel around the far reaches of the country.
By Grand Taxi
Morocco's collective taxis, called grands taxis, are the workhorses of the country's public transport system, operating in every corner throughout the day and night, linking villages with towns and towns with cities. They are usually old Mercedes sedans and are located at organized ranks next to bus stations, train stations, and even street corners. Most routes are short and regular, with longer or less popular routes normally leaving early in the morning. Grands taxis always travel with six passengers — two in the front next to the driver and four in the back. If it sounds cramped, you're right. Travelers with just a slightly bigger budget than stone broke often choose to pay for two seats and claim the front seat for themselves. This is an especially good idea for single female travelers. Many taxi drivers will try to push this onto Western travelers, however. If you only want to pay for one seat, you can use the words wa-hed (one) and collectif (collective taxi). The fares are fixed, and drivers rarely attempt to overcharge Westerners, though they often try to add on extra for luggage, which is fair if you're accompanied by a surfboard or three suitcases, but not for any reasonable piece of luggage.
I've given many examples of routes and their corresponding fares. Grands taxis leave when full, and there's no system of prebooking a seat. A good option for small groups or families is to charter a whole taxi. This allows for much more freedom within the journey (rest and toilet stops, for example), and can often be organized by your hotel. Although it seems obvious that the cost of chartering a whole grand taxi should be six times the single fare, this isn't always the case. Bargain hard.
There are some pertinent safety concerns attached to traveling in grands taxis. Many drivers are under pressure to work long hours, and falling asleep at the wheel is a definite possibility on night drives, so it's best to travel by day. Within that busy day, a driver is trying to fit in as many journeys as possible, and will often drive as if there is no one else on the road. Overtaking on blind corners is common on many grand taxi journeys. Added to this is the lack of available seat belts, because it's either too cramped within the vehicle or there quite simply aren't any. Needless to say, when chartering a grand taxi, stress on the driver your expectations toward his driving.
By Car
Given enough time, driving yourself around Morocco is a great way to enjoy the country — if it wasn't for Moroccan drivers. Accident rates are very high, and aggressive driving practices and lack of road safety awareness by pedestrians, cyclists, and moped riders can make for a stressful experience. However, if you can handle what sometimes feels like a driving free-for-all and desire maximum flexibility and independence, then self-driving in Morocco is definitely plausible. The road network linking the country is generally very good, with some European-standard motorways (called auto-routes), many other well-surfaced (though sometimes narrow) secondary and minor roads, and a network of dirt roads, called pistes, through the Atlas ranges.
The minimum driving age in Morocco is 18, though most rental companies will only rent to those 21 and older. You must have both your driving license and passport available for inspection by police at any time. An international driver's license isn't required, so long as your domestic license bears your photograph. Driving in Morocco is on the right-hand side, the same as in continental Europe and North America, and most roundabouts apply the French rule, where priority is given to those entering, rather than those already on, the roundabout. On the motorways the speed limit is 120kmph (75 mph), while on other open roads the limit is 100kmph (62 mph). In built-up areas the limit is usually 40kmph (25 mph). Road signs advising the speed limit are relatively common, but so are police checks and speed traps. Oncoming motorists usually flash their lights to warn of an approaching roadblock or speed radar. On-the-spot fines for speeding start at 400dh. If you're caught speeding, pay the official fine rather than baksheesh (a bribe); this will perhaps lessen the seemingly inherent corruption within Morocco's police force.
Motorways are superb for getting quickly between the major cities and regions, as they connect Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, Meknes, Marrakech, and El Jadida. An extension connecting Ceuta to Tangier opened in 2008, and work is underway on a Marrakech-to-Agadir extension that should be complete by the end of 2010. Toll stations are located regularly along the routes, and the cost (calculated on the distance traveled and the size of vehicle) is very reasonable given the quality of the roads. For example, the current cost for a sedan is 107dh from Tangier to Casablanca; 20dh from Casablanca to Rabat; and 145dh from Casablanca to Marrakech. The toll stations are about the only services in Morocco that always have change, so pay with your notes and keep the change for everyday use. Modern roadside gas stations-cum-restaurants are also dotted along the routes, as are emergency assistance patrols.
Fuel is referred to as “petrol” or “essence,” with leaded petrol called super, unleaded sans plomb, and regular diesel gasoil. Some gas stations also offer Euro Diesel, which is supposedly more environment-friendly and thus more expensive. Leaded and unleaded currently cost around 11dh to 12dh per liter, regular diesel is around 8dh per liter, and Euro Diesel around 10dh to 11dh. Four liters is approximately 1 gallon. Leaded and diesel fuel are both usually available at all gas stations, located throughout the country, but sparsely between towns in rural areas. Unleaded can be difficult to procure sometimes, and it's therefore best to fill up whenever you can; the Afriquia stations are your best bet. If you break down, there is no national roadside assistance service, but every reputable car-rental agency will advise you of a phone number to call in case of an emergency such as a breakdown. In addition, Moroccan mechanics are experts at getting your car back on the road. Parts for most cars, especially French makes, are usually readily available.
Driving in Morocco's cities can be extremely daunting. One particularly crazy time is nearing sunset during Ramadan. The mad rush to finish work and get home (it's traditional to break each day's fast with family or close friends) brings about even crazier driving tactics than normal. Conversely, the hour or so after sunset sees the streets practically void of any traffic, motorized or pedestrian. If you can time your entry or exit with this time of the Ramadan day, you'll have a free run.
Parking in Morocco's urban centers can be difficult. Most top-end hotels will offer private parking, while street-side parking is attended to by gardiens. Gardiens are often licensed by the local authorities to keep a watch over vehicles in a given area. Gardiens only earn money from the tips they receive from drivers. They may ask for a fee, or tip, upfront if you are staying for more than a day, as sometimes arguments break out between a day-shift and night-shift gardien as to who has earned the money. Budget on 10dh per shift, and you'll keep everybody happy. If you're lucky, you might even find your car has been washed before you depart. Note: Red- and white-stripe curbing means no parking.
The major international car-rental firms are all represented in Morocco, with agencies in most of the major cities and airports. These include Avis (tel. 0522/312424; www.avis.com), Budget (tel. 0522/313124; www.budget.com), Europcar (tel. 0522/313737; www.europcar.com), Hertz (tel. 0522/484710; www.hertz.com); and National/Alamo (tel. 0522/472540; www.nationalcar.com). There are also countless local car-rental firms. To rent a car in Morocco you'll need to be 21 years or older and theoretically have a year's driving experience. Group A vehicles, usually a small, four-door hatch or sedan, are the smallest available and perfectly adequate for most road touring in Morocco. The next size up is Group B, usually a small to medium four-door sedan, which will have a bit more power and may offer air-conditioning and a music system. Generally, it can be difficult, but not impossible, to acquire an automatic-gear rental car.
Car rental is a very competitive industry in Morocco, and daily rates ebb and flow according to season, demand, and supply. Costs for a Group A can range from 350dh to 500dh per day with unlimited mileage. These rates will usually include basic third-party insurance, but I recommend paying an extra 50dh to 100dh per day for collision damage waiver (CDW) insurance. This usually still has an excess of between 3,000dh and 5,000dh, which can be waived by paying a “super” collision damage waiver of around 50dh per day. There's usually no additional fee for an additional driver, but each driver's name must be recorded on the rental agreement. Most companies request an imprint of your credit card as a deposit.
All of the above costs are usually non-negotiable with the international firms, especially if you prebook, but can often be negotiated with the local firms, especially outside of high tourist season (June-Sept). Although this can be advantageous for your wallet, first compare the logistical and mechanical assistance offered between companies. Also, not many local companies offer one-way rentals.
By Petit Taxi
Operating in all cities and large towns are local taxis called petits taxis. These small four-door vehicles are the most convenient and inexpensive way to get around town. They are usually a four-door hatch, and those operating in each city or town are all colored the same; beige in Marrakech and turquoise in Tangier, for example. Government-regulated drivers are only allowed to carry up to three passengers, though these can all be traveling on separate fares, and are only allowed to travel within the city/town limits. At all times, request (sometimes this becomes a demand) the driver to charge by his electronic meter, as he is legally bound to no matter the time of day or night. After 8pm, a 50% surcharge kicks in. Fares are usually no more than 15dh to 20dh per trip — not per person — and are quite often less.
By Plane
Most international travelers only fly within Morocco when connecting directly from an international flight, such as New York to Marrakech, where you will more than likely change planes onto a local carrier in Casablanca. Domestic flights are relatively expensive when compared to road and rail, and are subject to frequent delays that often negate the quicker flying time. As there are only two domestic air carriers, competition is low and fares are relatively high. Both carriers have an extensive network of flights servicing the country, mostly emanating from Casablanca.
When to Go in Morocco
Morocco's peak holiday season is from July to September and is as much influenced by Moroccans returning home for their annual holiday as it is by international tourists. This is Morocco's summertime, when the whole country seems to enter holiday mode. The streets are noisier, the beaches are jampacked, and temperatures — both physically and metaphorically — can soar. Many Moroccans live and work on mainland Europe, and they all seem to take the month of August off to head back to the motherland. Most travel overland in their own vehicles, with seemingly everything bar the kitchen sink strapped to the rooftop, and the congestion at the main ferry ports can be horrendous, especially at the beginning and the end of August. Some maisons d'hôte in Fes and Marrakech close their doors for the month of August to escape the heat and the congested streets.
Also keep in mind the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. During this time, daytime travels and activities may be curtailed or achieved with a noted lack of local enthusiasm. However, to be in the country during this spiritual time, and to witness the happy, festive atmosphere at nighttime, can more than offset any travel inconveniences.
Weather — Morocco's summertime heat can have a major influence on the enjoyment of your time in the country and should be taken into consideration when planning your trip. The country's vast coastline is a magnet for locals and visitors alike during summer, with long, sunny days that are cooled by afternoon sea breezes. The higher reaches of the High Atlas, Middle Atlas, and Rif mountains are also pleasant escapes from the heat down on the plains. Traveling inland during this time — especially in central and southern Morocco but also Marrakech, Fes, and Meknes — is extremely uncomfortable.
Spring is considered the best season to experience Morocco. From late March to the end of May, central and southern Morocco are bathed in gloriously warm sunshine, the coast is beginning to warm up, and the mountains, some still hopefully snow topped, come into their own with crisp, fresh air and none of the haze of the ensuing months.
Central and southern Morocco, as well as Marrakech, offer crisp, sunny days during the colder months (Nov-Mar), but be warned that the nights can be exceptionally cold. Mountain trekkers should also be aware that Morocco's mountainous regions are susceptible to flash flooding during winter (from rainfall) and spring (from melting snow). Roads and villages have been washed away in the past.
Holidays — Two types of holidays are celebrated in Morocco. National public holidays (fêtes nationales) commemorate important dates in the country's more recent history, as well as general Western holidays. All banks, post offices, and government departments, and some shops will close on these days, though public transport is only slightly reduced. These holidays are New Year's Day (Jan 1); commemoration of the Istiqlal Party's Independence Manifesto (Jan 11); Labor Day (May 1); Fête du Throne (July 30); Allegiance Day (Aug 14); Revolution Day (Aug 20); Youth Day (Aug 21); anniversary of the Green March (Nov 6); and Independence Day (Nov 18). The Western public holidays of Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day are sometimes also taken as holidays by some workers, though they are not official public holidays.
Islamic holidays are observed countrywide by all Moroccans, and some can last for 2 days. These holidays are influenced by the lunar-based Islamic, or hejira, calendar, which is roughly 11 days shorter than the Western Gregorian calendar and began in the year A.D. 579, when the Prophet Mohammed was born. Exact dates in the lunar calendar depend upon each new moon, and the holidays listed below are only approximate, having been calculated in advance by Islamic authorities in Fes. The most spiritual time during the Islamic year is the month-long fast of Ramadan. The four most important Islamic holidays in Morocco are Eid al Fitr, the Feast of the Breaking of the Fast after Ramadan; Eid al Adha; Ras as-Sana, the first day of the Muslim New Year; and Mouloud, the Prophet Mohammed's birthday.
The following are a list of major Islamic holidays and their dates for 2010 and 2011: Ramadan (Aug 11, Aug 1); Eid al Fitr (Sept 10, Aug 30); Eid al Adha (Nov 17, Nov 6); Ras as-Sana (Dec 7, Nov 26); and Mouloud (Feb 26, Feb 15).
Regions in Brief in Morocco
Morocco lies in the far northwestern corner of Africa, across the fabled Straits of Gibraltar from Spain, and was once the western frontier of the known world, called el-Maghreb el-Aksa, or “the Far West.” Not including its disputed southern province of the Western Sahara, Morocco is slightly smaller than France or Spain and slightly larger than California, covering an area of 446,500 sq. km (172,395 sq. miles). It's bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and shares borders with Algeria to the east and southeast and Mauritania to the south. A nation of coastline, fertile plains, mountains, and desert, Morocco is a country of distinct geographical regions that have influenced the culture of its inhabitants for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. These geographical and cultural differences, however, are to be found within a relatively compact area, making this country a pleasurable and rewarding place to explore.
Marrakech — This city is not exactly a region of Morocco, more of a world unto itself. The jet-setting sister of Morocco's four imperial cities, Marrakech is on every traveler's itinerary, and for good reason. Nowhere else is the country's crossroads of cultures more evident than here. This exotic, sexy, pulsating, and confronting city is well and truly on the international scene, and nowadays offers a mesmerizing palette of accommodations, restaurants, festivals, and shopping.
The High Atlas — Part of the greater Atlas chain that stretches across the country from the Atlantic coast to Algeria and beyond, the High Atlas mountain range is featured on most travelers' itineraries if only because it's the natural barrier between Morocco's coastal, fertile plains and its vast, desert-fringed oases. The “Land of the Berbers,” the High Atlas are home to North Africa's highest peaks, including the climber's favorite, the 4,167m-high (13,671-ft.) Jebel Toubkal, along with some of its most beautiful valleys and friendliest people. This is also where many of the country's outdoor activities (trekking, hiking, mountain biking, and even skiing) can be enjoyed.
Central Morocco — This region of gorges, valleys, and desert is perhaps the quintessential Morocco that most travelers imagine. Like the High Atlas, also inhabited by the country's Berbers, central Morocco offers vistas of mountain gorges and desert valleys, cut deep with lush, green oases called palmeraie. Both the Todra and Dadès Gorges are easily accessed, and along their winding valleys are some of the most scenic areas of the country. Heading away from the mountains, the land flattens out into the stony, pre-Saharan hammada before finally arriving at Morocco's Saharan-fed seas of sand, Erg Chebbi and Erg Chigaga. Out here you can ride a camel into the desert, watch the sun setting over towering sand dunes, and sleep under a starlit African night.
Middle Atlas, Fes & Meknes — The Middle Atlas is perhaps the prettiest of the country's ranges, covered for its greater part with aromatic forests of pine and cedar. These are broken up by carpets of green pasture, where Berber communities — some still nomadic — tend to the herds of cattle and flocks of sheep that feed the country. The Middle Atlas stands watch over the spiritual heart of the country: the former imperial capitals of Fes and Meknes. Fes's ancient walled city, Fes el Bali, is the world's most complete medieval city and is where the first Moroccan dynasty, the Idrissids, built their empire. As with Marrakech, Fes is a popular destination for travelers, many of whom stay in a traditional riad or dar located down one of Fes el Bali's 9,500 alleys and lanes.
Sixty kilometers (37 miles) west of Fes, Meknes was the imperial home of the country's longest reigning and most ruthless ruler, Moulay Ismail. Combined with a visit to the excavated ruins of the Roman city of Volubilis and the pilgrimage village of Moulay Idriss (burial place of the country's “founding father”), Meknes is a hidden gem that delightfully lacks the tourist intensity of Fes.
Northwest Morocco — The country's northwest sees fewer travelers than the regions to the south, although history records a long list of other visitors, including invaders and rulers, culminating in the Spanish occupation of the first half of the 20th century. Tangier, a seething, sleazy free-for-all between the 1920s and 1950s, has cleaned its act up recently, and is fast creating itself a niche as a vibrant, affordable Mediterranean resort.
The fishing village of Asilah is home to one of the country's most popular festivals, where artists paint murals on the walls within its quaint medina. Asilah still exudes a village charm, and is a great first stop for those traveling south from Tangier.
The Rif mountain range is the natural border between Europe and Africa. The mountainside village of Chefchaouen resisted Spanish occupation for 8 years, and before that resisted all Western influence for more than 400 years. Today this picturesque, blue-washed village is a backpacker favorite, thanks largely to its kif (hashish)-induced relaxed vibe.
Atlantic Coast — Morocco's Atlantic coastline is its most populated region, home to the nation's political and business centers. From the mouth of the Bou Regreg river, Rabat's inhabitants have seen conquerors (which have included pirates) come and go. It's a pleasant city that betrays its title as the country's capital, and its medina and kasbah are remarkably easy to get around.
Most travelers only stop in Casablanca to connect to other destinations in the country, but it is the nation's heaving, gritty, working heart, home to more than three million people, all looking for work in a city built by the French due to Tangier's “internationalization.” The coastline south of Casablanca is packed with Moroccan holidaymakers every August and delightfully quiet for the rest of the year, other than the large flocks of birds making a stop on their migration between Europe and Africa. Casablanca is also home to one of the world's largest places of worship, the Hassan II Mosque.
The village of Oualidia overlooks a large natural lagoon and is fast becoming a summer destination for in-the-know European holidaymakers. To the south are the country's best surf spots, including the windsurfing town of Essaouira, home to perhaps the country's prettiest medina and one of its major music festivals.
Southern Morocco — Besides the beach resort city of Agadir and the popular surfing spots to the city's north, much of this region sees few travelers. It's a pity, because beyond its coastline is the Anti-Atlas mountain range, dotted with villages and palmeraie surrounded by a unique mountain/desert landscape.
The walled town of Taroudannt is dubbed “Little Marrakech,” but is much more than just a facsimile of its better-known big sister to the north. Taroudannt is perhaps the one major town in Morocco that's still largely unaware of its attraction to, and therefore its reliance on, tourists. Wandering around its streets and lanes opens up a window on the everyday lives of Moroccans that is hard to come by in the country's better-known spots.
Calendar of Events in Morocco
Morocco hosts many festivals throughout the year, including a fine range of internationally recognized music festivals, feasts, and celebrations linked to the agricultural or Islamic calendar, and regional moussems — festivals dedicated to local holy men, called marabouts, and displaying a unique blend of Islamic Sufism with traditional Berber beliefs. For an exhaustive list of events beyond those listed here, check http://events.frommers.com, where you'll find a searchable, up-to-the-minute roster of what's happening in cities all over the world.
February
Almond Blossom Festival, Ameln Valley (Tafraoute is the nearest major town). Held in late February to early March when the valley is “snowing” with pink and white blossoms, the festivities move along the valley from one village to the next, with Berber dancing, singing, and, of course, almond tasting. The harvest is heavily dependent on winter rainfall, so contact Ahmed Ouardarass at Tafraout Aventure for dates.
March & April
International Nomads Festival, M'hamid. Styled along the lines of Mali's Festival in the Desert, this Moroccan version has slowly gained in prestige since its inception in 2003, drawing artists from France, Brazil, and Spain. Performances rotate between two sites: one in a specially constructed nomadic camp in the dunes about 20km (12 miles) from the village and only accessible by 4X4, the other on a stage in the village itself. The event is still small-scale and thus yet to be overrun by tourists, and is held over 4 days in mid- to late March or early April. Visit www.nomadsfestival.com for information and current dates.
Moussem of Sidi Abdallah ibn Hassoun, Salé. Held on the eve of Mouloud, the Prophet Mohammed's birthday, this moussem is presided over by local brotherhoods. Commencing at around 3pm and continuing for 3 to 4 hours, a procession of candle bearers (a position handed down from father to son) carry large wax candle lanterns to the Grand Mosque, accompanied by music and dancing.
May
Rose Festival, El Kelaâ M'Gouna, Dadès Valley. A colorful (and aromatic) festival held in late May that coincides with the harvest of Damask roses in the valley. Music and dancing are accompanied by the obligatory showers of rose petals, and children line the roads selling fresh garlands.
June
Gnaoua & World Music Festival, Essaouira. This is one of the best known of the country's music festivals, with more than 400 musicians, including Gnaoua bands, Moroccan artists, and international musicians. Essaouira is bursting at the seams during the festival, so book your accommodations early. Concerts are free and held at various outdoor stages around the medina and on the beach. Mid- to late June. Visit www.festival-gnaoua.net.
Moussem of Ben Aïssa, place el Hedim, Meknes. This is one of the country's largest moussems and was traditionally the annual gathering of the Aïssoua brotherhood, known for their extraordinary endurance and self flagellation under trance. They still gather here today, but concentrate more on extended sessions of music, as well as worshiping their marabout, Ben Aïssa, near the entrance into Meknes from Rabat. Other attractions during the festival include a fantasia, where a charge of horses is ridden at full gallop by riders simultaneously firing long-barreled rifles. Takes place over several days on the eve of Mouloud.
TANJAzz, Tangier. This quality jazz festival is held during the latter part of May and attracts some big names from the U.S. and France. Concerts and jazz sessions are held at various hotels throughout the city, including El Minzah Hotel. The festival usually takes place in early June. Visit www.tanjazz.org for information.
July
Festival of World Sacred Music, Fes. This is another of Morocco's most popular music festivals. The 9-day festival has attracted big names such as South Africa's “white Zulu” Johnny Clegg and U2's Bono, and lives up to its reputation as one of the world's most authentic world music festivals. Concerts are held throughout the city — some for free — and occasionally at the Roman ruins of Volubilis. Early June. Visit www.fesfestival.com for information.
International Cultural Festival, Asilah. This 30-year-old festival has rejuvenated the Atlantic fishing village of Asilah, and is perhaps the most dedicated cultural event on the calendar. Throughout the village's medina are performances, lectures, exhibitions, and workshops (some for kids) given by an array of international artists, musicians, intellectuals, and lecturers. The festival runs for the entire month.
Marrakech Popular Arts Festival, Marrakech. Traditional performers from all over the country converge on the city for this 10-day carnival that turns Marrakech into one big, open-air theater. Performances are held in former palaces, on Jemaa el Fna, or simply begin impromptu on the street. Usually held in early July.
August
Setti Fatma Moussem, Setti Fatma. This moussem is held for 4 days, usually in the middle of August, and celebrates the local marabout whose shrine, or koubba, is upstream from the village. Non-Muslims aren't allowed into the koubba, but the village itself turns out a fantastic carnival, and tourists are welcome. It makes a great day trip from Marrakech.
September
Imilchil Marriage Festival, Imilchil. The 3-day Fête des Fiancés in the Eastern High Atlas has become just as popular with tourists as it has with the locals. Traditionally, it is a time for the region's unmarried men and women to mix and sometimes match. Usually held the first week of September.
Moussem of Moulay Idriss II, Fes. In late September or early October, thousands gather outside this marabout‘s tomb, located close to the ancient city's Kairouine Mosque, to watch processions of brotherhoods coming to pay tribute to their saint, the son of Morocco's founding father and creator of Fes.
October
Date Festival, Erfoud. Once the Tafilalt's delicious dates have been harvested, this otherwise sleepy town at the entrance to Morocco's Sahara comes alive. Performances of Gnaoua and Berber music and dance reflect the region's influences, and there are plenty of free dates to taste. The festival's dates (no pun intended) vary from year to year, according to the harvest. Contact one of the local hotels or restaurants toward the end of September for a better idea of exact days.
December
Festival International du Film de Marrakech, Marrakech. This is North Africa's version of the popular Cannes festival, screening more than 100 films over 1 week. The festival has attracted big-name Hollywood and Bollywood stars since it began in 2001. The festival dates seem to change every year, so consult their site (www.festivalmarrakech.info) for more details.
Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism in Morocco
Sustainable tourism has become the biggest buzzword within global tourism today. According to the World Tourism Organization, sustainable tourism is tourism that leads to the management of all resources in such a way that economic, social, and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity and biological diversity. The objective of sustainable tourism is therefore to retain the economic and social advantages of tourism development while reducing or limiting any undesirable impacts on the natural, historic, cultural or social environment. This is achieved by balancing the needs of tourists with those of the destination. Rather than being a type of product, it is an ethos that should underpin all aspects of tourism development and management rather than being an add-on component.
Truly sustainable tourism is still in its infancy within Morocco, contrary to the marketing of many local and international companies. Moroccans are largely ambivalent toward both their social and environmental footprint, mostly through lack of education but also because it is a luxury that most don't have the time or money to afford. The government is also partly to blame, as most hotel developments seem to be approved no matter the consequences for the environment and the locals. Basic infrastructure such as waste disposal and sewage are also criminally lacking in some parts of the country. The amount of waste that litters many of the country's waterways, beaches, roadsides, and mountains is a sight that Western travelers consistently mention as disappointing and worrying. However, it is only through increasing demand from international visitors that some tour operators, travel agencies, and accommodations are beginning to operate with truly dedicated ecologically and sustainable principles and practices.
The Web-based travel directory responsibletravel.com (tel. 01273/600-030 in the U.K.) lists thousands of “eco holidays” available worldwide, including a vast selection in Morocco. Jane Bayley's Naturally Morocco (tel. 01239/654-466 in the U.K.; www.naturallymorocco.co.uk) is considered the leader in eco-travel in Morocco. This U.K.-based responsible and sustainable tourism operator also has a cultural and environmental center in Taroudannt, from where it offers a range of hands-on cultural and environmental experiences. Clients can choose between diverse themes such as anthropology, language, cooking lessons, architecture, music, art, and wildlife. It also operates as a travel agency, recommending similar-principled accommodations and tours throughout the rest of Morocco. Equatorial Travel (tel. 01335/348-770 in the U.K.; www.equatorialtravel.co.uk) is a small U.K.-based travel company owned by friendly journeyman John-Paul Rodgers. It offers small-group, personalized tours to central and southern Morocco, with a heavy emphasis on the local culture. Besides desert excursions, it also offers an itinerary that culminates in the Essaouira Gnaoua & World Music Festival, a photographic tour escorted by a professional photographer, and itineraries structured toward families. Operating on fair-trade principles and practices, up to 20% of the company's profit is redirected back to the communities with which it works. Tribes Travel (tel. 01728/685-971 in the U.K.; www.tribes.co.uk) is an independent specialist-travel company based in the U.K. operating tailor-made holidays to a number of exotic destinations, including Morocco. It practices fair-trade principles, combining discerning travel with the needs of local communities, intended to protect both biodiversity and cultural diversity. The Tribes Foundation concentrates on poverty alleviation, education, cultural preservation, and conservation projects within the destinations that Tribes Travel operates. The company offers a range of itineraries throughout the majority of Morocco, as well as organizing weekend breaks in Marrakech.
General Resources for Green Travel
In addition to the resources for Morocco listed above, the following websites provide valuable wide-ranging information on sustainable travel. For a list of even more sustainable resources, as well as tips and explanations on how to travel greener, visit www.frommers.com/planning.
- Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) promotes ethical tourism practices, and manages an extensive directory of sustainable properties and tour operators around the world.
- In the U.K., Tourism Concern (www.tourismconcern.org.uk) works to reduce social and environmental problems connected to tourism. The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO; www.aito.co.uk) is a group of specialist operators leading the field in making holidays sustainable.
- In Canada, www.greenlivingonline.com offers extensive content on how to travel sustainably.
- In Australia, the national body that sets guidelines and standards for eco-tourism is Ecotourism Australia (www.ecotourism.org.au). The Green Directory (www.thegreendirectory.com.au), Green Pages (www.thegreenpages.com.au), and Eco Directory (www.ecodirectory.com.au) offer sustainable travel tips and directories of green businesses.
- Carbonfund (www.carbonfund.org), TerraPass (www.terrapass.org), and Carbon Neutral (www.carbonneutral.org) provide info on “carbon offsetting,” or offsetting the greenhouse gas emitted during flights.
- Greenhotels (www.greenhotels.com) recommends green-rated member hotels around the world that fulfill the company's stringent environmental requirements. Environmentally Friendly Hotels (www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com) offers more green accommodations ratings.
- For information on animal-friendly issues throughout the world, visit Tread Lightly (www.treadlightly.org). For information about the ethics of swimming with dolphins, visit the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (www.wdcs.org).
- Volunteer International (www.volunteerinternational.org) has a list of questions to help you determine the intentions and the nature of a volunteer program. For general info on volunteer travel, visit www.volunteerabroad.org and www.idealist.org.
Tips for Jewish Travelers in Morocco
Jews first set foot in Morocco in pre-Christian times, accompanying the Phoenicians on their trade excursions along the country's coastline. Jews also joined waves of Muslims escaping persecution during the Christian conquests of southern Spain. Since the Arab Islamic invasions from the 8th century onward, the two faiths have coexisted mostly in peace, although at times the Jews were used as scapegoats or favored purely for their business acumen. The silversmiths of today are also a product of the craft practiced by many Moroccan Jews up until as late as the 20th century. Prior to World War II, the Jewish population was around 225,000, and although no Jews were sent to concentration camps, they did suffer acts of humiliation under the French Vichy government. After the war, a steady stream of immigration to Israel turned into a flood after independence in 1956, and today's population of Moroccan Jews is considered to number around 10,000 at the most.
Since independence, the ruling Alaouite dynasty has continued a tradition of tolerance and support toward the country's Jewish minority. Hassan II was particularly active in the 1980s in trying to bring peace to the Israeli/Palestine conflict. King Mohammed VI has inherited his father's tolerance, with the appointment of prominent Jewish citizen André Azoulay as one of his royal advisors. In 2000, after two youths vandalized a Tangier synagogue, Mohammed VI appeared on television, decrying the act of interfaith disrespect; the two youths were subsequently sentenced to a year in prison. In 2003, a coordinated series of suicide bombs targeted both Western and Jewish businesses in Casablanca. It's debatable whether the attacks were an act of anti-Semitism or were more of an assault on the country's social and political order, the king himself, and the West in general.
In times past, Jews traditionally lived in a part of the medina called the Mellah. Most have now moved out into the ville nouvelle, although some old synagogues still remain. The majority live in Casablanca, where a visit to the only Jewish museum in the Arabic world is well worth the time. Morocco's Jews are an aging population, as most Jewish youths travel to Israel, the U.S., and France to study.
Jewish travelers in Morocco needn't take any special precautions other than those concerning all travelers. The Conseil des Communautes Israelites du Maroc (CCIM; tel. 0522/222861; comjuive@mail.cbi.net.ma) is based in Casablanca and represents the Jewish community in most matters within Morocco.
Staying Connected in Morocco
Telecommunications in Morocco are quite advanced for a developing country, with accessibility — be it from public phone booths, cellphone coverage or even VoIP — generally good throughout the country bar the most inaccessible mountain regions. In 2009 and due to the ever-increasing number of users joining the national grid, the state telecommunications provider Maroc Telecom decided to add another number to every land line and cellphone line in the country. This additional number has been inserted between what was the first and second numbers of the area code. All landline numbers have been given an additional “5.” For example, the phone number 024/123456 is now 0524/123456, and 035/123456 is now 0535/123456. All cellphone numbers, no matter the network, have been allocated an additional “6.” For example, the phone number 061/123456 is now 0661/123456, and 067/123456 is now 0667/123456. Shared call numbers such as those for various companies' central reservations now have an additional “0” between the first two numbers. For example, 08/123456 is now 080/123456. This major change has come after all landline area codes were first amended in 2006; most numbers north of (but not including) Casablanca changed from 055 to 035, and those south of the city changed from 044 to 024 and 048 to 028. All of this can be quite confusing for travelers, as many published telephone numbers still contain the old area codes from pre-2006.
Telephones
Coin-operated phones can be found in private téléboutiques (staffed phone booths) within every village, town, and city. You can make local and international calls from here, though you will need a stack of coins — thankfully there is always an attendant on hand to dispense change. Card-operated public phones are scattered everywhere, including outside post offices. Cards can be bought from the post office, newspaper stalls, and tabacs (news agency-cum-tobacconist). Per-minute costs to landline numbers are currently 1dh for local calls, 1.50dh for national calls, 2.60dh to 3.75dh for calls to Europe, and up to 7dh to elsewhere.
To call Morocco from another country:
1. Dial the international access code: 011 from the U.S.; 00 from the U.K., Ireland, or New Zealand; or 0011 from Australia.
2. Dial the country code 212.
3. Dial the Moroccan number minus the first 0.
To make domestic calls within Morocco: For all calls within Morocco, drop the country code; the full area code (including the first 0) must be dialed along with the number. All numbers in Morocco begin with a three-digit area code. Codes beginning with 052 or 053 are landline numbers; all other numbers are mobile numbers.
To make international calls from Morocco: To make international calls from Morocco, first dial 00 and then the country code (U.S. or Canada 1, U.K. 44, Ireland 353, Australia 61, New Zealand 64). Next, dial the area code (drop the first 0 if there is one) and number. For example, if you wanted to call the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., you would dial 00-1-202-588-7800.
For directory assistance & operator-assisted calls: Dial 160 for a number within Morocco, and dial 126 for numbers to all other countries.
Toll-free numbers: There are no toll-free numbers within Morocco, and calling a toll-free number in the U.S., U.K., or anywhere else from Morocco is not toll-free. In fact, it costs the same as an overseas call.
Cellphones
The three letters that define much of the world's wireless capabilities are GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), a big, seamless network that makes for easy cross-border cellphone use throughout Europe and dozens of other countries worldwide. In the U.S., T-Mobile, AT&T Wireless, and Cingular use this quasi-universal system; in Canada, Microcell and some Rogers customers are GSM, and all Europeans and most Australians use GSM. GSM phones function with a removable plastic SIM card, encoded with your phone number and account information. If your cellphone is on a GSM system and you have a world-capable multiband phone such as many Sony Ericsson, Motorola, or Samsung models, you can make and receive calls across civilized areas around much of the globe. Just call your wireless operator and ask for “international roaming” to be activated on your account. Unfortunately, per-minute charges can be high — usually $1 to $1.50 in western Europe and up to $5 in places such as Russia and Indonesia. GSM coverage in Morocco is generally excellent, bar the more inaccessible regions in the mountains and within the country's desert ergs.
For many, renting a phone is a good idea. While you can rent a phone from any number of overseas sites, including kiosks at airports and at car-rental agencies, I suggest renting the phone before you leave home. North Americans can rent one from InTouch USA (tel. 800/872-7626; www.intouchglobal.com) or RoadPost (tel. 888/290-1606 or 905/272-5665; www.roadpost.com). InTouch will also, for free, advise you on whether your existing phone will work overseas; simply call tel. 703/222-7161 between 9am and 4pm EST, or go to http://intouchglobal.com/travel.htm.
There are no phone rental companies within Morocco. However, buying a phone — or using your own if it is compatible — is often economically attractive, as Morocco has a cheap prepaid phone system. You can buy phones in Morocco for as little as 300dh. The major local GSM provider is Méditel. Shops selling Méditel SIM cards and prepaid top-ups are located in all urban centers, large or small. A SIM card currently costs 20dh, and top-ups can be purchased from any Méditel shop or from tabacs and general stores countrywide. The SIM card is valid for 6 months upon the first call. Each top-up extends the SIM for another 6 months, but the SIM must be used within a 6-month period or else it expires and cannot be used again. Domestic calls cost 1dh per minute to other Méditel numbers and 3.50dh per minute to other GSM numbers and local landlines. International calls cost up to 20dh per minute, depending on the destination and the time of day. All incoming calls are free.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
If you have Web access while traveling, you might consider a broadband-based telephone service (in technical terms, Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP) such as Skype (www.skype.com) or Vonage (www.vonage.com), which allows you to make free international calls between online computers, and cheap international calls if you're calling a normal phone number. Most cybercafes throughout the country will be using these programs already, complete with headset, microphone, and webcam.
Internet & Email
Morocco has truly joined the Internet era. While there is a growing number of home users, socioeconomic reasons (most people can't afford a home computer) dictate that the majority of Moroccan users frequent Internet cafes — called “cyber” — found in virtually every city, town, and even village that has electricity and telephones. The users are generally teenage Moroccans, who sit for hours during the evening participating in international chat rooms. Most cybercafes don't censor what their users are watching — there's no government censorship — and Western travelers may be shocked to find themselves sitting next to a young Moroccan lad who is surfing some pretty hard-core porn sites. Moroccans have also fully taken to speaking to loved ones via VoIP calls from their local cybercafe.
Tip: You'll find most keyboards in Morocco are designed with Arabic-language users in mind, so some letters will be in a different place from what you're used to. To bring up the @ symbol, simultaneously press Alt Gr and either the number 0 or à keys.
Without Your Own Computer — In Morocco, by far the easiest way to check your e-mail and surf the Web is in one of the country's Internet cafes. Connection speed varies but is usually pretty fast. The cost for 30 minutes is usually no more than 10dh. Cybercafes generally open between 9 and 10am, not closing until 10 to 11pm most days, although some will close for a few hours at midday Friday. To find cybercafes in your destination, check www.cybercaptive.com and www.cybercafe.com.
With Your Own Computer — Within Morocco there are a growing number of hotels, maisons d'hôte, and cafes that offer free Wi-Fi access or charge a small fee for usage. Most laptops sold today have built-in wireless capability. To find public Wi-Fi hot spots at your destination, go to www.jiwire.com; its Hotspot Finder holds the world's largest directory of public wireless hot spots. Throughout this book, I've advised which establishments offer Wi-Fi.
In Depth in Morocco
In Depth in Morocco
Independent for just more than 50 years, Morocco has, over time, been tread on by many different feet. From the New Stone Age to the 21st century, Morocco's mountains, coast, plains, and desert have hosted settlers and nomads, invaders and conquerors. Today this is visible in the country's religion (indoctrinated by marauding Muslims in the 7th c.), artisans and musicians (an oral and visual mix of Berber, Andalusian, Jewish, and Arabic), and, of course, its cuisine. Acceding to the throne upon his father's death in 1999, 44-year-old King Mohammed VI is repositioning Morocco as one of the major gateways between East and West — a position it has held intermittently over the centuries. A young country in more ways than one — more than half the population is under 40 — Morocco is one of the world's current hot spots for investment. This is particularly visible within the tourism sector, where a target of 10 million annual tourist arrivals by 2010 was encouraged by the king himself. Although this figure has since proven somewhat overly ambitious, the number of new resorts and hotels in construction appears to be continuing on regardless, as does the urban migration of Moroccans — mainly young males — looking for work. This all-embracing focus on modernization has the potential to both uplift and alienate Moroccans. King Mohammed VI consistently walks a tightrope between his dual roles as the country's spiritual leader — his dynasty, the Alaouites, claim to be direct descendants of the Prophet Mohammed — and ruler of a nation that labors under an illiteracy rate of just more than 50%, with a fifth of its inhabitants still living below the poverty line. A journey in Morocco can often leave the Western traveler struggling with its apparent contradictions. The country is relatively compact, yet its landscapes seem vast; it enthusiastically embraces European culture and standards, particularly from former colonial master France, yet is fiercely proud of its independence; and its people are restless for change, yet remain devoted to tradition. Morocco's riches — both cultural and natural — are evenly spread throughout the country, and are relatively easy to access from one another so that any traveler — be they the intrepid independent type, group-travel oriented, family minded, luxury conscious, or even business focused — can sample all that this country, at a cultural intersection, has to offer.
Religion in Morocco
Muslims account for about 99% of Morocco's population, so it's no surprise that its practices and philosophy dictate most aspects of daily life.
The Arabic word “Islam” literally means “submission to God,” and the core of the faith is the belief that there is only one God (Allah) who should be worshiped. And, in a line of prophets who included Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, John the Baptist, David, and Jesus, Mohammed was the last and most definitive. Muslims believe that Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are all essentially the same, but that the messages from the earlier prophets have been distorted and that Mohammed was chosen by God to revive, refine, and purify His message.
The main sources of Islam are the Koran (or Qur'an) — the revelations Mohammed received during his lifetime — and Mohammed's own actions, the Hadith.
Mohammed was born in Mecca (in present-day Saudi Arabia) in 570 and began to receive revelations from God, via the angel Gabriel, around 610. These continued until his death in nearby Medina in 632. The illiterate Mohammed would pass on each revelation to his scribes, who would then input them as a particular verse in the Koran. The Arabic word qur'aan means “recitation,” and Muslims regard the holy book's contents as the word of God. The Koran's 114 chapters were not revealed in the order presented, and in fact many were patched together from passages received by Mohammed at different times in his life. The year before he died, however, Mohammed finally recited in its entirety the order in which these original verses were to stay.
The Koran provided a basic framework for Islam, but it didn't go into specific detail: Of 6,616 verses, only 80 concerned issues of conduct. For more practical guidance, Muslims referred to Mohammed's actions and words while he was alive, even though he never claimed any infallibility beyond his intermediary status. The Prophet's actions and words were remembered by those who knew him and passed down through Muslim communities.
The five pillars of Islam are drawn from the Koran and the Hadith, and are the basic religious duties and cornerstones of the faith.
- Statement of Faith (shahadah) — “I testify that there is no god but God, and Mohammed is the Messenger of God.” If you say this with absolute sincerity, then you have become, or are, a Muslim.
- Prayer (salat) — Prayer must be performed five times a day, preferably within a mosque, though in the modern world many Muslims make this effort only for the midday prayer. Since the Islamic calendar is a lunar one, the day, and the first prayer, begins at sunset. Prayers follow in evening, dawn, midday, and afternoon. The exact times for these are set in advance by the religious authorities and published in local newspapers. In the past, muezzins would climb to the top of the mosque's minaret and call the faithful to prayer, but today it is mostly prerecorded and played over electronic speakers. Prayer involves specific rituals, the most important being the act of purification. This is achieved by rinsing out the mouth, sniffing water into the nostrils, and washing the face, head, ears, neck, feet, and (lastly) hands and forearms. Even if there is no water available, one must go through the actions.
- Alms (zakat) — It is believed that almsgiving purifies the heart of greed, while receiving charity purifies it of envy. The Islamic tolerance toward begging is drawn from this.
- Fasting (sawm) — Fasting takes place during Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar cycle.
- Pilgrimage (hajj) — Every Muslim who has the means is bound by duty to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his/her lifetime. This usually takes place in the 12th month.
Although Islam permeates most aspects of their everyday lives, Moroccans practice their religion relatively conservatively. Besides being denied entry into the country's mosques — apart from the tourist-friendly Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca — and perhaps being woken in the predawn by the muezzin‘s call to prayer, non-Muslims will find their daily travel largely unhindered by any Islamic codes of conduct. That said, it is considered respectful to dress conservatively when in public areas. For female travelers, this generally means dress that covers the knees and shoulders, while male travelers should be aware that sports shorts and sleeveless shirts are considered inappropriate dress unless on the sports field or beach. Tip: Female travelers will find it helpful to always have a sarong or large shawl on hand, as it can substitute as a long skirt or extra shoulder covering when the need arises.
Ramadan — Ramadan — the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar — is when Mohammed received the first of his revelations from God. Muslims observe a strict fast during the entire month — originally modeled after similar Jewish and Christian practices — and use the time for worship and contemplation. During the day, all forms of consumption are forbidden including eating, smoking, drinking, and any form of sexual contact. However, this is only the outward show of what is intended as a deeper, spiritual cleansing and strengthening of faith. One Hadith says, “There are many who fast all day and pray all night, but they gain nothing but hunger and sleeplessness.”
All Muslims who have reached puberty are expected to observe the fast. It is generally accepted that the elderly and the chronically ill are exempt, as are those who are sick or traveling, mothers who are nursing, and menstruating or pregnant women, all of whom are encouraged, for every day of fasting missed, to provide a meal for one poor person who is breaking their fast. Children are not required to fast, though some families encourage them to do so for part of a day or for a few days during the month.
At the end of the day the fast is broken with a light meal followed by the sunset prayer, which is then followed by an evening meal called the iftar. Muslims are encouraged to share iftar with family, friends, and neighbors as well as the poor and non-Muslims. The fast is resumed the next morning, traditionally when, according to the Koran, “you can plainly distinguish a white thread from a black thread by the daylight.”
The last 10 days of Ramadan are considered especially important, and many Muslims retreat to their mosque or other community centers for prayer and recitations of the Koran. Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power) is a special night of prayer commemorating Mohammed's first revelation. It is believed that this is when heaven is open to the faithful and God determines the course of the world for the following year.
When the crescent of the new moon of the 10th month rises, Ramadan ends with Eid al Fitr (Feast of Fast Breaking). The feast lasts for 3 days and is a time of both religious significance and social festivities. Villages and towns may also hold festivals or events to celebrate this time.
Non-Muslims should be aware of the fast taking place and attempt not to eat, drink, or smoke with blatant disregard to those who are fasting. Some restaurants, cafes, and stores may be closed all, or part, of the day, and those that are open may be staffed by tired, irritated personnel. It may be just me, but it seems the country's taxi drivers become particularly argumentative during Ramadan. Morocco is a relatively modern country, and Moroccans understand that business must go on and that the non-Muslim world is still working and traveling.
Ramadan in Morocco doesn't mean going on your own fast, but in some rural areas it may be difficult to get freshly cooked food and drinks during the day. However, a little discreet enquiring should find you an open shop where you can stock up on dry foods and bottled drinks. Many accommodations throughout Morocco will also offer in-house daytime meals to accommodate their non-Muslim guests.
The half-hour before sunset is the busiest time during Ramadan for locals, who will be seen rushing to finish work, pack up shop, and head home for the breaking of the fast. Expect to find a ghost town if you arrive at this time of the day, even in Morocco's bigger cities. Many riads and dars, some hotels even, also close their doors for an hour. While irregular hours, abrupt service, and noise generated by locals enjoying the nightly freedom from the fast (which can last until dawn) are par for the course during Ramadan, travelers can still enjoy their experience by showing a little respect and restraint.
Today in Morocco
A kingdom in its truest meaning, Morocco and her subjects are watched over by the 18th king of the Alaouite dynasty, King Mohammed VI.
Groomed from birth, then 36-year-old Mohammed Ben al Hassan was swiftly enthroned as the country's king in 1999, after the death of his father Hassan II. The king's former reputation as a “playboy prince” who preferred jet skis to jellabahs preceded him, and almost immediately the young monarch set about distancing himself from his father's past and modernizing his reign. He pledged to tackle poverty and corruption, stimulate the economy, and improve Morocco's human rights record.
Early in his reign, Mohammed VI, along with his sisters, princesses Lalla Meryem, Lalla Asma, and Lalla Hasna, strongly advocated women's rights. A key reform has been the creation of a new family code, or Mudawana, which raised the minimum age of marriage for women to the same as that for men (18 years), discourages polygamy, and allows for freedom of choice in both marriage and, perhaps more importantly, divorce — a freedom Princess Lalla Meryem exercised in 1999. Some Moroccans, however, feel the level of personal freedom has actually eroded since Mohammed VI's ascension to the throne. New anti-terrorism laws and a campaign against Islamic extremists in the wake of the 2003 and 2007 bombings in Casablanca have been seen by some as an infringement of human rights. Media freedom is regularly questioned, and journalists are censored, even jailed, over the taboo subjects of the monarchy, Islam, political corruption, and the Western Sahara.
The general public is also not immune from scrutiny by the authorities, with two recent and very public examples reflecting the country's clash between traditional conservatism and modern liberalness. In 2008, 29-year-old local blogger Mohammed Erraji was arrested — and jailed for 2 years just 3 days later after a 10-minute court hearing — for suggesting on his blog that the king was too charitable and was encouraging Moroccans to beg. In the same year, 26-year-old Fouad Mortada was jailed for 3 years for creating a false Facebook profile of the king's brother, Prince Moulay Rachid. Both men could be seen as scapegoats, used by the king to remind Moroccans of their boundaries. Perhaps to further demonstrate both his control and humanity, the king subsequently pardoned Mortada after only 43 days in jail. Erraji was also swiftly released, his sentence annulled by an appeals court just 2 weeks after his incarceration.
International NGOs such as Amnesty International have recently publicized cases of excessive human rights abuses, in some cases resulting in deaths, against an increasing number of mainly sub-Saharan Africans — but also Moroccans — caught attempting to illegally cross the border between Morocco and the Spanish enclaves of Mellila and Ceuta. For those Moroccans wishing to enter Europe legally, the depressingly long lines at the French and Spanish consulates constitute an infringement on their freedom of travel.
Although the economy has and still is undergoing an impressive liberalization that is attracting foreign investment — especially in the previously neglected Rif Mediterranean region — poverty, unemployment, and a high illiteracy rate are the daily curses of many Moroccans, who still see the majority of the political and military elite as untouchable and corrupt.
Some Moroccans also see a sense of hypocrisy in a king who espouses political and civil freedom while still enjoying almost absolute power over his subjects as both monarch and Commander of the Faithful. Although Mohammed VI seems to be slowly moving toward a constitutional monarchy, the albeit democratically elected parliament is effectively run by the king and his royal advisors, and the country's prime minister and his key ministers are still directly appointed by the king. Although there is speculation that the Moroccan monarchy will evolve like the Spanish one, Mohammed VI himself replies that there should be a Moroccan model specific to Morocco and that applying a Western democratic system would be a mistake.
In 2002, Mohammed VI married computer engineer Salma Bennani, and while his father's spouse (some say spouses) was never seen in public, Mohammed VI's marriage has been a very public affair. His wife was granted the title of princess while assuming a prominent role in women's rights. The births of a son in 2003 and daughter in 2007 provoked genuine celebration throughout the country.
Mohammed VI's popularity is hard to measure, as any negativity toward his rule is kept largely behind closed doors. The Islamist extremist threat is, at this stage, still largely confined to the country's major slum area in Casablanca, and it is from here that opposition to his policies and power are most visible.
Terrorism in Morocco — In recent years, a spate of bombings and foiled suicide attempts has raised fears of a surge of radical Islamist violence previously unwitnessed in Morocco, with one Spanish anti-terror judge labeling the country as “the worst terrorist threat for Europe.”
In 2003, Morocco sentenced three Saudi men to 10-year jail terms for attempting to form a Moroccan branch of Al Qaeda and plotting to attack NATO ships in the Straits of Gibraltar. That same year simultaneous suicide bomb attacks targeting Jewish, Spanish, and Belgian buildings in Casablanca killed more than 40 people, the first such coordinated terrorism attack in Morocco. In the 2004 terrorist bombings in Madrid, the majority of those accused were Moroccan nationals. In 2007, Casablanca was again struck with three separate suicide bombings within 2 months.
The 2003 attacks were attributed to the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (GICM), a hard-line Islamist group based in an impoverished slum in Casablanca called Sidi Moumen that advocates violence against Jewish and U.S. interests within Morocco. The Moroccan authorities' response to the Casablanca bombings was swift and predictably harsh, with 87 defendants facing trial that same year and receiving sentences ranging from 10 months' imprisonment to the death penalty.
Two of the 2007 attacks took place within another poor district of Casablanca, El Fida. These bombings ran parallel to worse conditions in neighboring Algeria, and Moroccan authorities and civilians fear that the suicide bombings are the work of the Algerian-based Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), recently renamed Al Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb. Members allegedly receive training in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Algeria, where they have claimed responsibility for a number of bombings in the capital Algiers, and some are said to have infiltrated the relatively porous border between Algeria and Morocco. The group's main focus has historically been to establish strict Islamic rule in Algeria, but it is now thought to harbor regional, even global, ambitions since becoming a franchisee of Al Qaeda. Immediately prior to the 2007 incidents, Moroccan authorities arrested eight Algerians in Casablanca who were accused of being members of an armed group that was preparing an attack. Further arrests and convictions were made in 2008 and 2009, including Abdelkader Belliraj, accused of being Al Qaeda's main man in Morocco. Others have been imprisoned for openly recruiting Moroccans to fight in Iraq.
Morocco has been vocal about its alliance with the U.S. and its fight on terror, and it is said that there has been an increase of CIA presence in the country. In 2004, Morocco was deemed a “major non-NATO ally” by the alliance organization, and a Tactical Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2009, specifically paving the way for a Moroccan contribution — ranging from information exchange to naval and air assistance — to NATO's anti-terrorism mission.
King Mohammed VI has come under international scrutiny after it was known that some of those arrested or killed in the 2007 attacks had been jailed in connection with the 2003 Casablanca bombings but had subsequently received a pardon by the king in 2005. Mohammed VI constantly finds himself treading a fine line between his responsibilities as the country's reigning monarch and supreme Islamic leader.
Overall, Morocco appears to be at least on level terms with the extremists. The 2007 bombings could all be considered “foiled attacks,” and subsequent sweeping arrests — assisted by anti-terrorism laws some human rights organizations describe as excessive — netted many of the alleged ringleaders, which was largely possible because of the isolation of the extremists within Morocco, and more specifically Casablanca. It is solely within the slums of Casablanca that the terror cells are gaining a foothold. It's estimated that a third of the city's population resides there, most of them rural workers who journeyed to the “big smoke” in search of their fortune only to find themselves with no regular work, no family or institutional support, and socially alienated. Some slums are severely lacking in, if not totally devoid of, basic infrastructure, and to some, the Islamic fundamentalists offer a way out of the black hole.
While some Moroccans may sympathize with the extremists' views of a “Western war on Islam,” the majority of the population deplores any violent action, as illustrated in the “No to Terrorism” march in 2003, when tens of thousands took to the streets in Casablanca just days after the bombings. Indeed, throughout my travels in the Islamic world it was a Moroccan who informed me that the true meaning of jihad simply means “striving,” and that its generally accepted interpretation explicitly forbids killing an individual purely because of his or her religious preference.
The government's current strategy plays on this nonviolent emotion by encouraging Moroccans to inform them of anyone or anything suspicious, and security agents are beginning to watch new arrivals in the suburbs, account for casual workers on construction sites, and even mix in with the crowds waiting in front of certain consulates. For the first time the government has also begun to publicly advertise the names of those who are under suspicion.
The visible police presence throughout Morocco can be a bit disconcerting for the visitor upon arrival, but it actually lends itself to a more secure environment throughout the country. The police can be overly officious and, at times, blatantly open to corruption, but this is not the case when it concerns terrorism. Wherever you travel in Morocco, locals will be at pains to assure you of your safety and that they welcome your presence.
The Western Sahara — Morocco's deep south is a largely barren, desolate, good-for-nothing expanse that just happens to be the stage for Africa's longest territorial conflict and one of the United Nations' most protracted and expensive peace missions. Depending on which map you look at, this region is called the Western Sahara, the Disputed Territory of the Western Sahara, or even the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The dispute over this sovereignty between Morocco and the indigenous Sahrawis has been going on since 1975, when more than 300,000 unarmed Moroccans converged on the city of Tarfaya in what was dubbed the Green March. This peaceful “invasion” was orchestrated by King Hassan II in response to the rejection of Moroccan and Mauritanian territorial claims to the region by the International Court of Justice, which recognized the Sahrawis' right to self-determination pending the imminent withdrawal of Spain after nearly 100 years of colonial rule.
Prior to the court ruling, tens of thousands of Moroccans had already crossed the border into Spanish Sahara to back their government's contention that the northern part of the territory was historically Morocco's. Following the ruling, King Hassan II sent his army to attack positions held by the Sahrawi guerilla army (the Algerian-backed Polisario Front founded in 1973 to contest Spanish rule), followed by the Green March a week later. This forced Spain to ignore the court ruling and negotiate the Madrid Agreement, which partitioned two-thirds of the territory to Morocco and the remaining third to Mauritania. Polisario consequently launched an armed struggle that succeeded, 3 years later, in Mauritania withdrawing its territorial claims, but Morocco simply overran the remainder and has stood firm to the present day.
Between 1981 and 1987, Moroccan forces constructed a 2,700km (1,674-mile) wall to separate the Polisario-controlled areas from the rest of Moroccan Western Sahara. The United Nations brokered a cease-fire in 1991 and established a mission to both enforce the cease-fire and implement a peace plan that would eventually allow Western Saharans to choose independence or integration with Morocco. Although both parties initially agreed to the plan, the referendum has never eventuated largely due to disagreement over voter “identification” — the Sahrawis wanted it based on a census carried out by Spain in 1973, thereby ruling out those Moroccans who settled in Western Sahara after the Green March. Morocco, perhaps eyeing the vast phosphate and fishing resources within the territory, proceeded over the next decade to consistently delay talks at resolving the issue. From 1997 to 2001, the UN's special envoy, former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, mediated talks between Polisario and Morocco and eventually came up with a new Framework Agreement. This agreement offered the Sahrawi autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty — including Moroccan control of internal security and the judicial system — over a 4-year transition period, followed by a referendum in which Moroccan settlers residing in the territory for longer than a year were allowed to vote. Giving little way to their independence aspirations, the Sahrawis rejected the plan and threatened to return to guerilla war.
In 2001 and 2002, Mohammed VI visited his southern provinces and reaffirmed his late father's position of Moroccan historical rights to the territory, proclaiming that Morocco “will not renounce an inch.” Tensions between Morocco and Spain escalated at this time, apparently due to the latter's refusal to back a behind-the-scenes French initiative that would have strengthened Morocco's case at the UN It was at this time that former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposed partitioning the contested territory between Morocco and the Sahrawis, which was predictably and forcefully rejected by both parties.
The political tide started to turn in favor of the Sahrawis when South Africa, followed by a number of other high-profile African countries, urged support for self-determination and opened diplomatic ties with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, an act the Moroccan government called “disappointing.” In recent years, the Sahrawis have become more politically savvy. In 2005, the Polisario Front released Moroccan servicemen they had detained in southern Algeria for almost 20 years. The 404 men, considered the world's longest-serving prisoners of war, were released in a gesture that the Polisario Front hoped would pave the way to peace with Morocco.
Money is a silent, but inextricably strong, factor in the struggle for this piece of Saharan-battered land. In addition to the Western Sahara's phosphate deposits and fish reserves, oil has been discovered fairly recently. The 2000 U.S. Geological Survey of World Energy estimated substantial oil and gas resources off the Western Saharan shore, an appealing factor for Morocco, which produces fewer than 1,000 barrels of oil a day and heavily imports its energy needs. Western Saharan reserves will provide a direct route to the refineries of Europe and the eastern seaboard of the U.S., and with both regions publicly stating they are looking for alternative sources to the Middle East, the stakes are high.
Recently, a new struggle between Morocco and the Sahrawis has developed over who has the authority to sign over the exploratory rights, with both countries granting licenses to separate gas and oil exploration companies. In a major blow to Morocco, the UN undersecretary for legal affairs ruled that Morocco had no right to award contracts since the “exploitation of natural resources in a non-autonomous territory” is only allowed “if it benefits local populations, is carried out in their name, or in consultation with them.” In somewhat of a coup for the Sahrawis, the 2004 U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement specifically ruled out trade within Western Sahara, and a 2006 E.U.-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement, which opens the Western Saharan coastline to European fishing fleets, has been opposed by some E.U. member countries.
Today, Morocco's Western Sahara policy has shifted toward regional autonomy — but with no referendum on independence — while the Sahrawi demand for outright self-determination has grown more vocal and public. Both parties have been treading the diplomatic streets, with the U.S. and France publicly backing their longtime ally Morocco, while various European nations, such as Belgium and Germany, hosted Sahrawi independence activists and government members. Major African players South Africa and Nigeria have also declared their acceptance of Sahrawi sovereignty, much to the ire of both the Moroccan government and Moroccans in general. Current UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has reiterated the body's intention to stay in the Western Sahara until an agreement between the two countries is realized, and in early 2009 appointed former U.S. ambassador to Algeria Christopher Ross as the UN's new special envoy to deal with the disputed territory.
Arts & Crafts in Morocco
Morocco's craft culture fuses indigenous Berber traditions with Arab, Jewish, Andalusian, and other European influences (particularly France), and marries local resources — stone, wood, metal, mineral and clay deposits, and supplies of leather and wool — with imports such as marble and silk.
Technique, passed on through specialist guilds where a master maâlem instructs apprentices and examines their skills, is at the core of Moroccan crafts. An extensive repertoire of designs combines Arabic calligraphy, graceful foliage, and abstract geometry typical of urban design with the sharply stylized birds, animals, zigzags, triangles, and squares of Berber origin. Crafts were officially encouraged during the French protectorate (1912-56) through the research of scholars and teachers and during the reign of King Hassan II (1961-99), who sponsored government handicraft centers and training schemes and employed craftsmen on major projects such as the great mosque in Casablanca.
Foreign investment and the development of tourism are powerful incentives for the survival of these traditional crafts. Owners of hotels, guesthouses, and private homes employ builders, decorators, tile makers, wood and stucco carvers, metalworkers, weavers, and embroiderers to create beautiful and comfortably furnished environments. Meanwhile, souks are full of goods — ceramics, jewelry, clothes, leather bags, slippers — to attract tourists, and contemporary Moroccan fashion designers make brilliant use of traditional fabrics and decorative techniques in their collections.
Architecture — Within the imperial cities of Fes, Marrakech, Meknes, and Rabat, traditional life was based on the medina where houses, souks, and craftsmen's workshops clustered around public buildings such as the mosque, medersa (teaching institution), fondouk (travelers inn), communal fountain, and hammam (bathhouse). The ruler's palace was usually located in a defined space outside the medina.
Buildings conform to a basic square or rectangle with an open court concealed from the outside world by high walls. Columned arcades surround the courts of mosques and medersas, one or two stories of rooms enclose the small courtyard of a dar, and walls frame the garden of a riad.
Beyond the cities, the spectacular kasbahs — residences of local rulers — and the ksar — fortified villages — also have walls enclosing living and storage areas. Before the advent of concrete, bricks made of clay, gravel, and lime were the main building material, reserving local stone for specific features. Gray stone quarried near the port of Essaouira, for example, was used to build the columns and arcades of warehouses and the frames of doors and windows, carved in intricate designs of foliage, stars, and rosettes. Local marble is used in floors, columns, and fountains in wealthy homes. Brick walls are frequently decorated in the technique of tadelakt, which also gives walls a durable, waterproof, and attractive polished surface. This craft involves several stages, including the application of a plaster of powdered limestone mixed with pigments — usually yellow, rust, brown, or green — which are burnished when dry and polished with oily black soap.
Three major crafts decorate and furnish Moroccan buildings: woodwork, carved plaster known locally as geps but also called stucco, and ceramic mosaic tilework called zellij. They are seen at their best in the decoration of the medersas (built in the 14th-16th c.) of Fes, Meknes, and Marrakech, and in the surviving palaces and great houses of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Moroccan interiors are remarkably uncluttered by fittings and furniture. Apart from the arched mihrab niche indicating the direction of prayer toward Mecca, mosques have a minbar, or pulpit, for the preaching of the Friday sermon and a few stands for copies of the Koran, while the medersa only adds a few mats, books, and personal possessions to the students' rooms. Households have little movable furniture except cushions, floor coverings, small tables, and stands, and rooms are multifunctional and easily converted into spaces for dining, sleeping, or entertaining.
Cedar wood from the forests of the Middle Atlas and Rif mountain ranges is used in various woodworking techniques. One of the most beautiful is mashrabiyya, an openwork lattice of small turned pieces of wood joined in patterns of squares, octagons, and stars to form the partitions in the court and rooms of a medersa and in private houses to control the flow of air, filter light, and separate private and public space. In Morocco's medersas, wood was traditionally carved in relief, with bands of religious inscriptions in Arabic, calligraphy in angular Kufic or a flowing cursive script, and panels of spiraling and interlaced foliage mingled with geometric motifs. Wood serves many uses in a household, including kitchen utensils and finely carved tables, shelves, storage chests, jewelry caskets, and containers for ink and cosmetics.
Among the regional variations is the prized marquetry of Essaouira, worked in the root of the thuya tree that grows near town. In specialized workshops, the wood is carved into a range of tables, stands, frames, boxes, and containers that are decorated with marquetry in citron wood, walnut, and ebony, often enriched with inlays of mother-of-pearl and copper and silver wire. Painted wood, known as tazouakt, has mainly survived in the palaces and large private houses, seen in their domed and vaulted ceilings, doors, and shutters.
The technique of carved plaster — called geps or stucco — is one of the most difficult to master. The craftsman has to work fast, first spreading a thick layer of wet plaster and then shaping and incising many levels of relief in stages before it dries. The spectacular results can be seen throughout Morocco covering panels, friezes, arches, and vaults.
Deep friezes of brilliantly colored zellij line the lower walls of buildings and column bases with an explosion of radial and interlaced patterns. The craft flourished in Fes using the technology of ceramic glazing.
Ceramics — Workshops in Fes and the port city of Safi have traditionally produced distinctive ranges of decorative wares using fine red clay. The kilns and workshops of Safi, the most extensive pottery center in Morocco, are outside town. Here the industry was revived in the late 19th century by potters from Fes who were attracted by the quality of the local clay. They also introduced the technique of polychrome decoration, which has simple borders and medallions of geometric motifs painted in blue, green, and yellow on bowls, plates, and vases. Berber pottery, in contrast, uses brown and red clay to make unglazed items that are painted with simple designs in vegetable-based colors of red and yellow.
Clothing — Moroccan dress requires the crafts of textiles, jewelry, and leather. While European dress is increasingly worn in the cities, it is still possible to see contemporary versions of traditional clothing worn by men and women, purchased ready-made in the local souk or commissioned from a tailor. The basic garment is the jellabah, an ankle-length, loose robe with long straight sleeves and a pointed hood. These are made in fabrics ranging from fine wool (usually worn in the city) to rough, homespun yarn of the rural Berbers, who also wear a large cloak, or burnous. Headdresses range from an embroidered or crocheted skull cap to a red felt fez for formal occasions.
Women's jellabahs are made in a greater range of fabrics, including light-weight cotton, silk, and blends of synthetic fibers. The clothing of Berber women consists of lengths of cloth fastened with silver pins and brooches, cloaks woven with geometric motifs, and elaborately folded headdresses.
Traditional dress is important in marriage rituals, especially in Fes where the bride is robed in layers of garments and wraps of brocaded silk and gold-embroidered velvet. She is then adorned with a gold crown hung with strings of pearls.
Jewelry — The craft of jewelry is deep-rooted in Moroccan tradition. The skills of Andalusian and Jewish immigrants historically monopolized the workshops of Fes, Marrakech, Essaouira, and Tiznit up until as recently as the middle of the 20th century. Jewelry uses many techniques of casting, engraving, filigree, chasing, and enameling to communicate messages of wealth, status, and identity. City jewelry is usually gold crafted in intricate filigree and often set with pearls, garnets, emeralds, and rubies. Flamboyant Berber jewelry is made of silver and often embellished with coral and amber beads.
Leatherwork — Tanneries in Fes, Marrakech, and Taroudannt continue the traditional processes of transforming animal skins into soft leather suitable for shoes, bags, cushions, book covers, and more. The main style of shoe for both men and women is flat-soled, heelless slippers called babouches. These are usually made of white, beige, yellow, or red leather and can be decorated with embossed and embroidered patterns. The footwear of Berbers consists of closed leather shoes and boots suitable for rough country terrain.
Metalwork — The importance of metalwork is best seen in Moroccan architecture and furnishings. Doors studded with iron nails turn on iron hinges and are fitted with iron and bronze knockers. Openwork grills of wrought iron decorate windows and balustrades. The workshops in the souks of Fes, Marrakech, and Taroudannt equip homes with a wealth of objects in copper and brass and teapots of silver and pewter.
Textiles — Morocco has had a well-deserved reputation for textiles since Roman times, especially for the woven and embroidered fabrics of the Berbers. Today, Berber women continue to weave wool blankets, rugs, cloaks, storage bags, and pillow and cushion covers using natural black, brown, and white yarn (which can also be dyed). By the 16th century, Fes became Morocco's principal center for the weaving of fine wool and silk for both domestic and export markets. Since these times, the city's professional craftsmen have embroidered silk velvet with gold and silver thread using a flat couched stitch to work elaborate flower and foliage designs for luxurious house furnishings, wedding garments, and horse trappings. Many of the embroidered textiles required for a household — curtains, pillowcases, mattress and bed covers, runners — have been traditionally made by women. Apart from Fes, Meknes and Rabat are also known for their embroidery work.
Etiquette in Morocco
Appropriate Attire — Although wholeheartedly Muslim and conservative by nature, Moroccans are also understanding of, and have been exposed to, Western culture. Unfortunately, many Westerners take this tolerance to the extreme, and dress as if they were back home. Travelers will be treated with undoubtedly higher respect by all Moroccans if dressed conservatively. For men it's worth looking around and seeing the type of dress generally worn by all Moroccan men: collared shirt or T-shirt covering the shoulders, long pants or jeans, and sandals or shoes. Running shorts, sleeveless shirts, and beachwear are only worn when playing sports or at the beach, and if worn at other times are almost tantamount to wearing only your underwear. For women, dressing conservatively can range from loose, long pants, shoulder-covering short-sleeve shirts, and shoes or sandals to a full-length Moroccan robe, called a jellabah. This rule of thumb covers both day and night, although is a bit more relaxed should you be visiting one of the country's finer restaurants or highbrow nightclubs, generally found in the more cosmopolitan cities of Casablanca and Marrakech. Some of these establishments are decidedly more European than Moroccan, and the dress of the clientele often reflects this. I would still, however, recommend “classy” over “revealing.”
Greetings — Moroccans are more formal in social situations than most Westerners. Queries about one's marital status and children are considered polite, and greetings should always include queries as to the health and well-being of one's family. Always greet with your right hand, as your left is traditionally considered unclean. Kissing cheeks is practiced between members of the same sex — especially if they are friends — but should not be performed between opposite sexes unless each is well known to the other. When entering someone's home, it's considered polite to remove your shoes, especially before entering the living/dining area. If your host doesn't require such politeness, he or she will quickly inform you.
Gestures — Using your index finger to motion a person to approach you is considered impolite. Moroccans — as with most non-Western cultures — beckon someone by placing the palm downward and sweeping the hand toward themselves.
Avoiding Offense — In Morocco, taboo conversation subjects include the royal family, the political situation in the Western Sahara and Algeria, and drugs. It's also wise to be prudent when talking about Islam and Al'lah (God). Although non-Muslims are not expected to fast during Ramadan, it's considered polite to eat, drink, and smoke indoors, or at least away from the public eye. At any time of the year, but especially during Ramadan, show respect in both dress and demeanor if you are near a mosque. Photographing a mosque is usually acceptable, so long as you're not too close or appear to be photographing the interior. You may be invited to come closer, but it's best to wait for this. Photographing border checkpoints, military, police, or airport installations is strictly forbidden.
Eating & Drinking — In Islamic (and Arabic) cultures, the left hand is considered unclean, as this is the hand with which a person performs sanitary tasks. Moroccans, therefore, rarely eat with their left hand, perhaps only using it to drink from or maybe to pass bread. If you are eating from a communal tagine, eat with your right hand only. The respectful procedure when offered food is to politely decline and, if offered again, to accept a small portion. Reciprocating the offer is also considered polite, and will afford respect. To decline an offer of food, simply pat your stomach and shake your head, followed by “La, shukrran” (No, thank you).
Punctuality — Punctuality is not one of the trademarks of Moroccans. Tasks are often achieved in “Moroccan time,” which can be anything from a half-hour late for personal appointments to even arriving the next day. The exception to this rule is the country's guides — especially the faux guides and hustlers — who will be waiting long before any agreed time.
Hammams — Traditionally, Moroccan women used to bathe nude, but nowadays this isn't always the case, with many younger women (and most travelers) electing to go topless but wear underwear or bikini bottoms. This will not cause offense; those who choose to also wear a bra or bikini top may do so, but local women will wonder why the visitor doesn't, like them, bare all. Men, both Moroccan and Western, bathe in shorts. It's not necessary to shower beforehand.
The Global Etiquette Guide to Africa and the Middle East (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 2002), written by cross-cultural expert Dean Foster, has some handy information for both business and leisure travelers on general cultural issues between Arabs and Westerners, and includes some specific advice regarding Morocco.
Dateline in Morocco
- 10000-5000 B.C. Neolothic cultures spread out across North Africa.
- 1100-150 B.C. The sea-faring Phoenicians, followed by the Carthaginians, settle along the North African coast.
- 146 B.C. After the fall of Carthage, Roman influence makes its way to North Africa.
- 27 B.C. Direct Roman rule extends to Morocco as far as Volubilis (near Meknes).
- A.D. 253 Roman Empire begins to crumble and withdraws from Morocco.
- 429–535 Vandals, followed by Byzantines, briefly occupy Morocco.
- 622 The spread of Islam begins from Medina.
- 700s Arab installs Islam across North Africa.
- 788-923 The Idrissid dynasty is the first Moroccan Arab dynasty, established by Moulay Idriss I and his son, Idriss II, in Fes.
- 1062-1145 The Berber Almoravid dynasty is established in Marrakech. Eventual rule extends to Spain.
- 1147-1248 The orthodox Almohad dynasty comes down from the High Atlas to depose Almohads and extends its rule farther into Spain and across to Tripoli.
- 1248-1465 Merenid dynasty builds extensively within Morocco. Portuguese invade Moroccan coast.
- 1465-1554 Wattasid dynasty takes hold. Andalusia falls, and there's a rise in Jewish and Muslim immigration to Morocco.
- 1554-1669 Marrakech-based Saadian dynasty ejects the Portuguese and extends rule south to Timbuktu.
- 1669-Present The Berber Alaouite from the Tafilalt is established and is still in power today with the 15th sultan, King Mohammed VI. Morocco, through Sultan Mohammed III in 1786, is the first nation to formally recognize a newly independent United States.
- Late 1800s European interest in Morocco grows as the “Scramble for Africa” begins in earnest.
- 1906 Algeciras Conference in Spain; France and Spain designated by European powers to control Moroccan ports and collect customs dues.
- 1912 Morocco divided into French and Spanish protectorates, administered by resident-generals. The sultan's influence subsides to a largely figurehead role.
- 1943 Istiqlal, the Party of Independence, is founded with support from Sultan Mohammed V.
- 1956 End of protectorate era after unrest and strong nationalist sentiment. Spain keeps its two coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Mellila. Sultan Mohammed V becomes king in 1957.
- 1961 Death of King Mohammed V; son Hassan II accedes to the throne.
- 1963 Morocco holds first general election as the country moves from a traditional sultanate to a constitutional monarchy.
- 1973 Polisario movement formed — with Algerian support — to establish an independent state in Spanish Sahara.
- 1975 The Green March. King Hassan sends 300,000 civilian volunteers into Spanish Sahara. Spain hands over Spanish Sahara to joint Moroccan-Mauritanian control. Algeria objects.
- 1976 Moroccan and Algerian troops clash. Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) formed with Algerian assistance as a government-in-exile. Morocco and Mauritania divide Western Sahara.
- 1976-91 Continuous fighting between Moroccan military and Polisario guerillas.
- 1984 Organisation of African Unity (OAU) admits SADR; Morocco resigns membership in protest.
- 1991 U.N.-monitored ceasefire begins in Western Sahara. Proposed referendum on the territory's future fails to be agreed upon.
- 1998 Morocco's first opposition-led government comes to power.
- 1999 King Hassan II dies and is succeeded by his son, Mohammed VI.
- 2003 More than 40 people are killed when suicide bombers attack several sites in Casablanca, including a Jewish community center and Spanish restaurant.
- 2004 Devastating earthquake hits the north; more than 500 people dead.
- 2004 Free trade agreement begins with the U.S. following Washington's designation of Morocco as a major non-NATO ally.
- 2005 Truth commission set up by King Mohammed VI to investigate human rights abuses during the rule of his father, King Hassan II. Commission says 592 people were killed from 1956 to 1999.
- 2007 Suicide bombings in Casablanca. Morocco and the Polisario Front hold U.N.-sponsored talks in New York but fail to come to any agreement.
- 2008 More than 40 people are condemned to long prison sentences for the 2007 Casablanca bombings. Two Moroccan men are found guilty of implication in 2004 Madrid train bombings. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visits Morocco and discusses anti-terrorism measures, political reform, and the Western Sahara.
- 2009 A Moroccan man is given a 15-year prison sentence for involvement in the 2003 Casablanca bombings, and is also wanted for the 2004 Madrid train bombings. A Moroccan man alleged to be leader of the local Al Qaeda franchise is jailed for life. Morocco breaks off relations with Iran after an Iranian politician stated Bahrain was a former province of Iran.
Food & Drink in Morocco
Displaying influences from Africa, Arabia, and the Mediterranean, the Moroccan cuisine of today is a reflection of the country's colorful past, blended with the culinary traditions of both its Arab and Berber inhabitants. Over time, these influences have been refined into a distinctly Moroccan flavor — thanks largely to centuries of imperial dynasties, where expectations and demands weighed heavily on the chefs of the royal courts, and thus inspired both experimentation and extravagance.
Moroccan cooking is strongly characterized by the subtle blending of spices, and Moroccans expertly use them to enhance, rather than mask, the flavor and fragrance of their dishes. Spices such as cayenne, saffron, chilies, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cumin, paprika, and black pepper are all commonplace in Morocco, as is a special blend of spices called ras el hanout, translated as “head of the shop,” which is usually a mixture of between 10 and 30 different spices. Traditionally the proprietor of each spice shop sold his own unique — and secret — ras el hanout recipe. Fresh herbs are also present in Moroccan dishes, particularly garlic, coriander, parsley, and mint, as are fragrant additions such as orange or rose water, olives, and olive oil. Harissa, a fiery paste of garlic, chilies, olive oil, and salt, is often used as a condiment. Above all else, perhaps the defining characteristic of Moroccan cuisine is the blending of savory with sweet, most commonly witnessed by the addition of fruit to meat tagines.
Moroccan food is mostly homegrown, producing a wide range of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and grains, along with large quantities of sheep, cattle, poultry, and seafood. This range of seasonal and mostly organic produce is largely grown and cultivated by small-scale farmers and delivered daily to markets and souks around the country.
Eating in Morocco is a social ritual, and sharing meals at home is fundamental to most Moroccans' way of life. Families take great pride in all aspects of a meal, from purchasing the freshest produce to the preparation, cooking, and display of each dish. Such is the importance of mealtime that many urban families even employ a live-in cook — sometimes a poorer family relative — to boost their social standing. Most of the country's maisons d'hôte also employ full-time chefs to entice both residents and nonresidents to their doors. This has resulted in an impressively high number of quality eateries located throughout the country, as well as a new wave of international-Moroccan fusion cuisine.
Food
To get you started, here's a list of common Moroccan food items you'll certainly come across during your travels:
- amlou: sweet spread made from almond paste, honey, and argan oil
- baghrir: spongelike pancake with little open-air pockets on the top, similar to a large crumpet
- brochette: skewered meat grilled over a charcoal fire
- couscous: hand-rolled semolina grain steamed until plump and fluffy
- harira: soup usually made from vegetable or chicken stock with added chickpea and tomato
- kefta: minced lamb or beef generously spiced and either rolled into the shape of a sausage brochette or shaped into meatballs and cooked in a tagine
- khalli: poached egg, sometimes cooked and served in a tagine
- khübz: circular, flat loaf of bread
- mechoui: whole roasted lamb or beef
- msemmen: thin, oily, flat bread
- pastilla: flaky, phyllo pastry pie with a savory filling of chicken, pigeon, or sometimes seafood, topped with cinnamon or sugar icing
- tagine: meat, seafood, and/or vegetable casserole or stew, slowly cooked in a two-piece earthenware cooking vessel with cone-shaped lid
- tanjia: earthenware urn stuffed with seasoned meat and slowly cooked in the embers of the local hammam
- zaalouk: spiced eggplant dip
Breakfast & Breads — Morocco's culinary delights begin in the morning. Even the most basic of cafes will usually have an offering of fresh pastries or breads to accompany your coffee, tea, or a freshly squeezed orange juice. Baguettes, croissants, and pain au chocolat are the mainstays of most breakfasts, but you may also encounter Moroccan breads — best eaten fresh — such as khübz, msemmen, and baghrir. A personal favorite is a warm baghrir smothered in amlou. If you're staying in one of the country's maisons d'hôte, your breakfast will likely also include a selection of jams, or confitures, yogurt, and fresh fruit, as well as boiled eggs and omelets.
Sandwiches & Snacks — Snak restaurants can be found all over Morocco, ranging from hole-in-the-wall pavement specials to larger, sit-down establishments. Dishes on offer will range from sandwiches, pizza, and frites (french fries) to chawarma (roasted meat in pita bread) and more substantial dishes such as brochettes. The Moroccan version of a sandwich comes in either a baguette or khübz, and usually involves choosing from a displayed selection of meats, salads, and sauces; ask for plats emporter if you want it as a takeaway. Boiled snails — not the large French variety but small brown-and-cream banded snails known as babouche — are commonly sold from street food stalls, and a bowl of snail soup is considered a great restorative. Harira is another soup, and can be eaten on its own or as part of a larger meal. During Ramadan, harira is often drunk at dusk to break the fast. There are many recipes for harira, with the basic stock including chickpea and tomato, bean, and pasta; or chicken and pepper. I recommend a squeeze of lemon to add a little sharpness to the taste.
Salads — The abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables throughout Morocco — even out to the edge of the Saharan dunes — lends itself to a delicious variety of salads. Almost everywhere you will be offered a salade Marocain (finely chopped tomatoes, cucumber, and sometimes green pepper), or at the very least a salade vert of lettuce and tomatoes. Vegetarians will prefer the salad course offered by many fine restaurants called meze. This mélange of small dishes can include spiced eggplant dip called zaalouk, herbed baby potatoes, honeyed carrots, puréed pumpkin with cinnamon, and roasted tomato relish.
Seafood — Morocco's Atlantic coastline, including the disputed Western Sahara, is a much sought-after fishing ground, and for good reason. The cold, nutrient-rich waters have always provided the country's markets and restaurants with a wide range of fresh seafood year-round. Lately, however, there has been a decline in the daily catch, widely attributed to overfishing. Still, on any given day along the coast, and in the major inland cities thanks to refrigerated transport, you're still likely to be spoiled for choice, with fresh catches of Saint-Pierre (John Dory), dorade (sea bream), merlan (whiting), and sardines. Oualidia's oyster farms ensure a steady domestic supply of the popular mollusk, while crevettes (prawns/shrimps) and homard (lobster) are also regularly featured in menus.
Meat — Moroccans love their meat, and the concept of vegetarianism causes some looks of confusion among locals, who presume that seafood will still be eaten; hence a vegetarian salad usually comes with tuna. Lamb is favored and enjoyed with couscous, in tagines, skewered over charcoal, braised, boiled, or slow roasted until delectably tender for mechoui. Beef and chicken are more affordable and are also served in a variety of ways, including flame-grilled rotisserie chicken, a popular snak meal.
Couscous — Originating in either Algeria or Morocco in the 13th century, couscous — Morocco's national dish — is a fine semolina grain that is traditionally hand-rolled before being steamed over a simmering stew. Ready when plump and fluffy, the grains are then piled into a large platter or tagine dish, with the stew then heaped on top. It's traditionally served after a tagine or mechoui, and is the crowning dish from which most Moroccans will judge a meal. If you're invited to a Moroccan's home for the traditional Friday midday couscous, be aware that every Moroccan man's wife or mother cooks the best couscous in Morocco, and to state otherwise is comparable to treason.
Pastilla — Sometimes called bisteeya, this is a sweet and savory pastry consisting of shredded chicken or pigeon mixed with egg and crushed almonds. The mixture is enclosed in a phyllolike pastry called warka, which is topped with cinnamon and sugar icing. Pastilla is considered a delicacy, so some restaurants may not always have it available.
Tagine — Tagine is a casserole or stew traditionally cooked over a smoldering charcoal fire in a two-piece, cone-shape, earthenware vessel, which is also called a tagine and from where the dish gets its name. Tagines come in many delectable combinations such as beef with prunes, chicken with preserved lemon, and lamb with dates, but can also consist of kefta topped with egg, seafood, or purely vegetables.
Tanjia — Like tagine, tanjia owes its name to the earthenware vessel in which it is cooked. A classic Marrakchi dish, large cuts of seasoned, spiced beef or lamb are stuffed into the tanjia, which is then tied with paper and string and taken to the local hammam. The hammam's farnatchi — the man responsible for stoking the furnace — buries the tanjia vessel in the embers and leaves it to slowly cook for a few hours, after which the meat is tender and ready to eat. This is traditionally a dish made by men for men and is prepared for a bachelor party or all-male gathering.
Desserts & Sweets — Besides mint tea , dessert will usually consist of sweet Moroccan pastries dripping in honey or dusted in cinnamon and sugar icing. Some top restaurants offer pastilla au lait — layers of crispy, flaky pastry smothered in sweetened milk and amlou and topped with crushed nuts. Sfenj is a deep-fried Moroccan doughnut, and can be seen threaded six at a time on a piece of bamboo reed or palm frond. Patisseries are everywhere in Morocco — a legacy left behind by the French — and the quality of pastries and gâteaux (cakes) is excellent. For something truly Moroccan, try the gazelle horns, which are small, crescent-shaped pastries stuffed with marzipan.
Drink
Beverages — Night and day, Moroccans are rehydrated by two popular drinks — freshly squeezed orange juice and mint tea, the national drink. Both can be found in cafes and snak restaurants countrywide, and are an excellent pick-me-up for the overheated traveler.
Moroccan males are especially keen on their coffee, another legacy of the French occupation. No self-respecting Moroccan cafe would dare serve instant coffee, and coffee lovers can find fresh cappuccino, espresso, or coffee with milk just about anywhere at any time.
Water — Many Western travelers — especially those from colder climes — suffer from dehydration during their Moroccan travels. This needn't happen, as cheap bottled water is available everywhere. The best still-water brands are Sidi Ali and Ciel, while Oulmes is the most commonly available sparkling water. Most tap water in Morocco is also drinkable, but it's safer to stick to bottled water.
Beer, Wine & Liquor — Morocco is by no means a dry country, but drinking in public is still frowned upon and is extremely ignorant if practiced near a mosque. Besides a few select establishments — mainly in Marrakech — Moroccan bars, called brasseries, are all-male, smoky drinking dens that are only for the desperately thirsty and are unpleasant for females. Most upscale restaurants, however, will have a liquor license, and should be able to offer beer, if not also wine and spirits. Many tourist hotels will also have an attached bar, although some of them are also the domain of chain-smoking businessmen and prostitutes.
Morocco has three local brands of beer — Casablanca, Stork, and Flag — of which the latter is my personal recommendation, while Heineken is the most readily available imported beer. There are also a few surprisingly palatable Moroccan wines available, including an elegant Gris de Guerrouane rosé along with many French brands.
The supermarket chains Acima and Marjane are found in various cities throughout Morocco, have well-stocked liquor stores, and have even been known to stay open for non-Muslims during Ramadan. Other liquor stores can be hard to locate, but you can ask at your hotel. Within most of the country's medinas, the only alcohol to be found will be in select tourist hotels and restaurants.
History in Morocco
It can be argued that Morocco has the purest human bloodline of any region in Africa. The natives, who inhabited the area more than 3,000 years ago, have been subjected to waves of foreign interference by everyone from the Phoenicians and Romans to colonial French and Spanish settlers. These immigrants never came in overwhelming numbers — even the Bedouin Arabs of the 7th and 8th centuries who exerted such a profound influence on the region's culture — and so the greater part of Morocco's present population can be regarded as descendants of the original inhabitants that occupied el Maghreb a millennia ago.
The migration of prehistoric peoples that led to the emergence of the current population of Morocco likely took place well before 5000 to 40,000 B.C., as writings from Greek scholars of the time refer to a substantial and formidable tribe (termed Libyans in reference to the tribe's name, Lebou) inhabiting the far western fringe of Egypt to the west of the Nile delta.
During the course of the 1st millennium B.C., the Punic-speaking Phoenicians and their predecessors, the Carthaginians from modern-day Tunisia, constructed a series of trading stations and other posts — most notably in Morocco near the modern-day cities of Tangier, Larache, and Essaouira — to jointly meet the needs of their seamen and to protect their monopoly of the coastal trade. The Carthaginians waged wars against the Greek city-states of Sicily and with Rome. They expanded their empire farther west along the coasts of both northwest Africa and southern Spain before they eventually capitulated to Rome. The far western outposts of Carthage initially remained largely unaffected from the change in power and even prospered for about another 100 years from waves of relocating Punic refugees. The Libyans of Morocco were treated harshly under Carthaginian rule, and many took refuge in the Rif and Atlas mountains, and beyond into the pre-Sahara where they began a seminomadic existence. From these inaccessible, harsh regions grew a largely ungovernable people who would ferociously guard their independence for centuries to come.
Rome's African colony — called Ifrikiya in medieval Arabic times and from which the continent now takes its name — was established in the Carthaginian homeland in northern modern-day Tunisia, and over the next 150 years, Roman influence spread over all the coastal districts of northwest Africa. The Romans termed all the native inhabitants who were not under their direct rule as barbari — “barbarians,” a term that passed into modern usage as “Berber” — and by the time the Romans made their way to Morocco, a number of kingdoms had been created among the inland, independent Berbers of North Africa. In northern Morocco and western Algeria, these Berbers were known by the Romans as the Maures, and their kingdom became known as Mauretania. Rome initially tolerated the kingdom, which prospered first under the rule of Juba II, an Algerian Berber who was educated in Rome and married the daughter of Antony and Cleopatra, and then his son Ptolemy. By around A.D. 40, however, Rome eventually imposed a more centralized control and split its colony into Mauretania Caesarensis (Algeria) and Mauretania Tingitana (Morocco), with Tingis (Tangier) the latter's easily accessible capital. Mauretania Tingitana was to be the empire's westernmost province, but the empire was to crumble before any such feat could be considered.
Though it was considered a far-flung outpost by the cultured set in Rome, Roman urbanization flourished in Mauretania Tingitana, with estimates of more than 30 established cities scattered along the northern coast and adjoining plains. Volubilis, located squarely within the fertile farmlands, became a major seat of power and commerce as the province supplied the empire with more than half its requirement of agricultural produce such as olives and grain, as well as many of the African animals used in the barbaric gladiator games. It is estimated that within the 200-odd years of direct Roman rule in northwest Africa, the populations of Atlas bears, elephants, and lions were as good as wiped out.
The rule by the Romans was plagued by constant raids from the Berbers living beyond the Roman frontier boundary. With their empire starting to crumble, the Romans started retreating from Mauretania Tingitana around A.D. 250, and subsequent rule over the region (first by the Vandals and then the Byzantines) was largely restricted to the ports of Tingis (Tangier) and Ceuta. Consequently, tribal law reigned over most of Morocco over the ensuing centuries, and it was this isolated, largely clan-bound land that confronted the marauding Arabs from the east in the 7th century.
Between A.D. 639 and 700, Muslim Arab invaders, influenced by the new religion preached by the Prophet Mohammed, invaded Egypt and most of the Maghreb. Though they had conquered the richer lands of the Middle East in less than a decade with relative ease, Morocco was only occupied after 70 years of fighting against the Berbers. Although the reason for such determined fighting by the invading Muslims had been their mission to convert and rule the local Berbers, this may have been secondary to their determination to invade the Iberian Peninsula with an eye on eventual western European domination. In 711, they achieved both missions when an army composed largely of Muslim Berber troops set out from Tangier and successfully invaded the Spanish port of Tarifa, from where they proceeded over the next decade to push the Christians almost into France. Although this signified acquiescence to Islam by some Berbers, it did not constitute an acceptance of the presence of the Arabs.
The Arab invasions attracted Muslims from all over western Asia to settle in North Africa, and their presence greatly stimulated the commercial economy of the region. By the late 700s, regular trade was established across the Sahara between Morocco and the great gold, ivory, and slave kingdoms of West Africa. This wave of Islam had a far more profound impact on the Berber population than Rome and Christianity ever had; it transformed the cultural orientation of the Maghreb by turning its face from the Latin West to the Arab East.
Such was the quick expansion of the Islamic empire that it rapidly became too expansive to rule from the centralized seat of power in Damascus; the religion now reached from Persia across to the western Maghreb and from Ghana up to Spain. As Arab rule was transferred from Damascus to local leaders, the age of the Moroccan dynasties began.
Moulay Idriss arrived at Volubilis in 787. An Arab refugee of distinguished ancestry, he was immediately welcomed into the city and very quickly took on the role of both spiritual and political leader. Leaving Volubilis as the thriving commercial (and perhaps decadent) hub that it was, Idriss immediately set about transforming the nearby village of Fes into the principal city of western Morocco and a model for all the Moroccan dynasties to follow. A devout Shia Muslim, Idriss was proclaimed the Commander of the Faithful, a title that has continued throughout the ages and is still the spiritual crown worn by the current king, Mohammed VI. Astonishingly, Idriss accomplished all this in only 4 years before the Baghdadi Shia powers had him poisoned. Moulay Idriss II was born after his father's death, and over his 20-year reign, he elevated the Idrissid state into Morocco's first true dynasty, establishing a certain measure of government and law. Fes developed into one of the major intellectual centers in the Islamic world and was a vital link in the trade routes between Andalusia and the Middle East as well as Morocco and the Sahara. The Idrissid's power began to wane by the 10th century, but Fes has retained its level of importance up to the present day.
As the Idrissid state reverted back to a more localized rule, a group of nomadic Berber tribesmen, the Sanhaja, established a massive empire in the south. This movement originated from the preaching of Ibn Yasin, who settled in the camps of the Sanhaja to preach the Islamic gospel. But upon finding their faith and diligence lacking, he withdrew to the western Saharan coast (modern-day Mauritania), where he established a ribat, a fortified monastery of sorts. As the number of his devotees increased, he was able to launch his strictly disciplined el-Murabitoun, or Almoravids, in a jihad, or holy war. He took revenge on those Sanhaja who had rebuked his teachings and extended his power southward to the ancient kingdom of Ghana and northward to Morocco.
Within 30 years (1050-80), the Almoravids overran all of the by-now fractured states of the western Maghreb (Morocco and western Algeria) and by 1107 were also rulers of southern Spain. For the first time in Maghrebi history, the Berber tribes had been forced to obey a single ruler, and within this relatively short space of time, the concept of Moroccan unity was born. The very name Morocco was derived from the Almoravids' new capital, Marrakech.
The Almoravid empire, however, collapsed as rapidly as it had grown, and in 1147 they were eventually overthrown by a movement not altogether dissimilar from their own. Ibn Toumert, an Atlas Berber who preached a very strict, deeply spiritual form of Islam, saw the Almoravids as blasphemous and immoral. Provoking the Almoravid court in Marrakech until he was eventually banished to the mountains, Ibn Toumert gathered a small band of disciples around him, known as Almohads, and succeeded, before his death in 1130, in creating a political structure strong enough to hold together many of the mountain tribes who harbored a natural animosity to the desert-originating Almoravids. A disciplined military force was established and swept down onto the fertile plains to conquer the Almoravids, firstly in Fes and then Marrakech, this only 25 years after their banishment from the city. Over the next century, the Almohads extended their power northward into Andalusia and eastward over present-day Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The latter half of the 12th century was possibly the Maghreb's finest hour, and Andalusian culture reached its peak under their reign. The Almohad leaders were behind the building of the new capital in Rabat as well as Marrakech's Koutoubia Mosque and Seville's Giralda tower.
Barely 100 years after sweeping to power, the Almohad empire collapsed under the weight of internal divisions, and within Morocco many Berber tribes reverted back to local rule.
The Merenids, a Sahara Berber tribe that had fought alongside the Almohads in Spain, turned on their former masters, and by 1250 regarded themselves as rulers of Morocco, although they lacked any great military base. It was during these turbulent times that Morocco came to acquire certain contradicting, localized religious characteristics. Most of the country's urban Arabized centers began to practice a strict observance of the orthodox Islamic faith. Meanwhile, a vigorous brotherhood of Muslim saints, or marabouts, developed in the countryside where their strong mystical appeal attracted the illiterate, rural Berbers.
Also witnessed during the Merenid reign was a strengthening of the Bedouin Arab influence on the Moroccan northern plains. During this time, the Merenids embarked on a considerable construction spree, largely financed by the Makhzen system. The Makhzen was Morocco's first real centralized government system of administration and taxation, but was only enforceable in the urban centers under Merenid control and only then by an army of Arab and Christian mercenaries. The Merenids ruled from Fes el Jdid, an extension of the original city, Fes el Bali, and to perhaps appease the popular orthodox faith of the time, constructed many of the mosques and medersas, or Islamic colleges, that still dominate the Fes medina today.
However, the Merenids and their successors, the Wattasids, were quite unable to deal with their external problems. Their Spanish territories, including the last great Moorish city of Granada, were lost during their reign, and in 1415, the Portuguese occupied the port of Ceuta on the Moroccan side of the Straits of Gibraltar. This marked not only an important shift of power between Muslims and Christians in the western Mediterranean, but also the beginning of western European expansion into the wider world.
Between 1460 and 1520, the Portuguese occupied the greater part of the Moroccan coast, including modern-day Tangier, Asilah, Essaouira, and Agadir. The Portuguese set up trading posts along a great deal of Africa's northern Atlantic coastline, and this greatly affected Morocco's Saharan trade routes. Although the caravans from West Africa through the central and eastern Maghreb to the Middle East continued to flourish, Morocco's position as the middle man between Africa's west and Europe became increasingly redundant.
The Saâdians used the widespread revolt against the Merenids and Wattasids to make their move. They were the first Arabic dynasty to rule over Morocco since the Idrissids back in the 8th century, although they suffered the same dramatic rise and fall from power as the previous Berber dynasties. The Saâdians lacked any tribal allegiances from the Moroccan Berbers and gained a lot of their power from their claim of being direct descendants of the Prophet Mohammed and their leading role in driving the Portuguese from most of their strongholds. They built themselves a capital in Taroudannt before claiming Marrakech in 1520. At this stage, the Wattasids were still governing some parts of northern Morocco from their stronghold in Fes, but there was widespread revolt in protest to the addition of Ottoman Turks to their Arab and Christian tax-collecting armies. Unpopular and bankrupt, they eventually succumbed to the rising Saâdian power from the south.
Ahmed el Mansour (the Victorious) was the greatest of the Saâdian sultans and reigned for 25 years. The sultan had eyes for a larger stage than most previous rulers, and established close commercial and diplomatic ties with Elizabeth of England, who realized his value as an ally against Spain. He also sent an army across the desert and overpowered the mighty West African empire of Songhai, founding a Moroccan protectorate on the banks of the Niger River in the process that sent back so much gold that “the Victorious” was bestowed another title, el Dhabi, “the Golden,” by his thankful subjects.
Upon el Mansour's death in 1603, none of his three sons could deliver the same leadership as their father, and Morocco plunged into familiar chaos and anarchy. The Saâdians retreated to their strongholds of Marrakech and the Souss, where they continued to reign over the south for another 60 years. The Saâdian Tombs in Marrakech lay witness to the obvious wealth that the dynasty still enjoyed after the death of el Mansour. At the same time, Catholic Spain was pursuing a vigorous purge of all non-Catholics, and waves of Jewish and Muslim refugees arrived on Morocco's shores, only adding to the general lawlessness sweeping the country. One group of refugees was a band of pirates called the Sallee Rovers, who lay claim to their own Republic of the Bou Regreg at the mouth of the Bou Regreg River in the twin cities of Rabat and Salé. Their pirate state added a distinct Andalusian touch to the medina and kasbah of Rabat that is still evident today.
Law and order was restored to Morocco in the 1660s by the Alaouites, who came from the Tafilalt town of Rissani, near the Saharan dunes of Merzouga. It was their second sultan, Moulay Ismail, who was to become Morocco's longest-serving ruler — and one of its most notorious. Sultan from 1672 to 1727, Moulay Ismail was a ruthless leader who demanded loyalty and service from his subjects and kept a tight hold on the country via a standing army of some 140,000 black troops, many of whom were enslaved from military expeditions that took the Moroccans as far south as Senegal. He is remembered today as one of the country's preeminent leaders whose imperial city of Meknes was intended to be the equal of Versailles. His reign also saw the construction of roads and schools, and such was his reputation in Europe that even though the country spiraled into anarchy after his death, it wasn't until 150 years later that the European colonial powers considered invading Morocco again.
Up until 1850, Morocco had been relatively successful in keeping the West at bay. At the time, there were fewer than 500 Europeans in Morocco compared with 12,000 in Tunis and more than 100,000 in Algeria. Moulay Slimane, Alaouite sultan of Morocco from 1792 to 1822, was a devout orthodox Muslim and extolled a particularly xenophobic style of rule that forbade his subjects from leaving the country, confined all Europeans to Tangier and Mogador (Essaouira), and generally imposed stringent restrictions on all commercial relations with the Western (Christian) world. All of this only served to leave Morocco ill placed to deal with a European presence that was starting to be felt throughout Africa. European, particularly British, French, and Spanish, businessmen were beginning to show an interest in the potential Moroccan market, and the Moroccans themselves were acquiring a taste for foreign products; imports of tea, for example, rose by 20% between 1830 and 1840. At the same time, the French invasion of Algeria in 1830 handed Morocco a powerful and dangerous neighbor, and in 1845 the Moroccans found themselves fighting the French in a brief war. In 1859, the Spanish army invaded Morocco in response to constant raids on its garrison ports of Ceuta and Melilla and inflicted a series of defeats over Moroccan forces before the Alaouite sultan, Abd er Rahman, signed the Treaty of Tetouan. Under the treaty, Morocco promised to pay Spain a huge indemnity for the raids. To pay this, the sultan had to raise a loan in London on the security of the Moroccan Customs revenue and hand over control of this to foreign commissioners. Consequently, from the 1860s there was a rapid expansion of European influence in Morocco.
Moulay al Hassan was the last great Moroccan sultan (1873-94) before the French occupation. His reign was virtually a continual campaign to satisfy those in the bled el makhzen and extend his power into the bled el siba, “the unfriendly country.” It also witnessed more European, especially French, involvement in the country's civil administration and commercial dealings. Al Hassan's determination to govern the bled el siba — something that had not been achieved since the 17th century — arose from trying to make certain that no ungoverned groups existed that could cause frontier incidents such as the previous disastrous confrontations with the French and Spanish. The fact that Morocco was able to keep its independence until 1912 — considering France had occupied Algeria since 1830 and declared Tunisia a French protectorate in 1882 — is a tribute to his enterprise and skill.
By 1906, with the vast majority of Africa under European rule, the still technically independent nation of Morocco was the subject of intense negotiations among a number of European players. In the Conference of Algeciras and with Morocco on the verge of bankruptcy, France and Spain became the designated European interests in the country.
In 1911, with his capital Fes surrounded by rebellious tribes and his country bankrupt, Sultan Moulay Hafidh (great-uncle of the present king) requested French military intervention and ceded control of Morocco. This agreement was ratified the following year on March 30, 1912, with the Treaty of Fes, which formally proclaimed the Sultanate of Morocco as a French protectorate, with its new capital in Rabat. A separate agreement between France and Spain then divided the country into a vast central French zone with Spanish zones to both its north and south.
Morocco by this time was exceptionally poor, having suffered from perennial droughts, outdated agricultural methods, and, above all, difficulties of communication and transport caused by the mountainous interior. Over the next 40 years, the French zone witnessed more than 43,000km (26,660 miles) of road construction, compared to just 500km (310 miles) in the Spanish zone. The French also successfully promoted the new colony to potential settlers, whereas the immigration of Spanish settlers was decidedly less. The relative success in the French zone was largely due to the character of its first resident-general, Louis Lyautey, who held office for 13 years until 1925. Lyautey had already served in Indochina and Madagascar as well as Algeria, and he was determined to preserve the traditional institutions of Maghrebi Islam. At the same time he had a sure grasp of economic affairs, and the rapid modernization of the Moroccan economy was largely his work. In particular, he set to task on the pacification of the tribes of the bled el siba, and perhaps his greatest achievement was bringing law and order to areas that had never been controlled by a central government. Today his legacy is most visible in the retention of the medinas around the country. In Algeria he had witnessed the random destruction of medinas in the name of progress, so in Morocco he, along with urban planner Léon-Henri Prost, designed elegant, gridlike new cities, or ville nouveaux, which were carefully separated from the ancient cities.
Around this time, Lyautey's pacification was rudely interrupted by the Rif War. The Berbers of the Rif mountains in the northern zone of Morocco had risen as one against the Spanish military government. They defeated a Spanish force in 1921 and proclaimed a Republic of the Rif. The uprising in the Rif was the eventual downfall of Lyautey, who was seen as too pro-Moroccan.
In 1927, after the death of the old sultan Moulay Hafidh, the French arranged for a young prince, Sidi Mohammed V, to accede to the throne. The French imagined that they could educate the young sultan to rule entirely according to their wishes, but during World War II, Mohammed V became the leader of the Moroccan nationalist movement, even welcoming Churchill and Roosevelt to Casablanca for the Allies Conference in 1943. Toward the end of the war, after many years of secret meetings and political organization and with the support of both the sultan and the majority of the Moroccan people, the major resistance movements in Morocco combined to publicly form the Istiqlal, the “Party of Independence.” The sultan made himself the central figure of the nationalist movement. He refused to give his consent to French laws to ban the Istiqlal and other nationalist parties. In a desperate effort to overcome the resistance to their rule in Morocco, the French sided with the nomadic groups in the Atlas mountains, who were traditionally hostile to the sultan. However, this attempt to “divide and rule” by playing the Berbers against the Arabs only resulted in uniting them in opposition to French rule. In 1953 the French deposed Mohammed V, and exiled him first to Corsica and then to Madagascar. In his place, the southern tribal caid Thami el-Glaoui, who had enjoyed virtual rule of southern Morocco under the French, was made sultan. Unrest broke out with the formation of an Army of Liberation by the nationalist groups, and eventually the French were forced to acknowledge defeat and agree to the principle of independence. In November 1955, Mohammed V returned to his country and was reinstated as sultan; Morocco became independent in March 1956. Upon independence, the government instigated a sweeping range of reforms, built more schools and universities, and dealt with the excesses of colonial rule, most notably by cleaning up the seedy port city of Tangier. The sultan changed his title to king while retaining his spiritual position as Commander of the Faithful.
Mohammed V died somewhat unexpectedly in 1961, and power moved smoothly to his son, Hassan II. Although initially intent on introducing a new constitution — as promised by his father even before independence — Hassan II, faced with ever-present social and political unrest, delayed its introduction and proceeded to dismantle the opposition. The king reverted back to rule similar to the patrimonial mode of the precolonial sultans.
The 1970s and 1980s saw Hassan II play a leading neutralist role in the affairs of both the Middle East and North Africa, and over time this served to instill within Moroccans a sense of national pride. The last few years of his 38-year reign saw some democratization within the government plus some changes to the country's constitution. Hassan II died in 1999 after a relatively short struggle with cancer, and his 36-year-old son, Mohammed Ben al Hassan, was immediately enthroned as Mohammed VI, the 18th king of the Alaouite dynasty.
Language in Morocco
Although most Westerners presume Moroccans simply speak Arabic, the situation on the ground is definitely more complicated. Morocco's indigenous Berbers had already been speaking their native tongue — nowadays collectively called Amazight — for thousands of years before the Islamic-fueled Arab invaders of the 8th century imposed the language of their holy Koran on the region. Over time this became known as Classical Arabic. Its relation to the spoken varieties of today can be compared with that of Latin to the modern Romance languages. It is still taught in most Arabic schools and has changed little since the days of Mohammed. Classical Arabic, however, is not used in the everyday lives of Arabic speakers. Modern Standard Arabic, or MSA, evolved from Classical Arabic into the lingua franca of the Arabic world, and is the official language of many nations, including Morocco. There are no native speakers of MSA, and it is rarely the mother tongue of most Arabic-speaking people. The vast majority of educated Arabs learn it in school, while others without formal schooling in MSA can understand it with varying degrees of proficiency. In Morocco, MSA is mainly used in formal situations (religious sermons, news broadcasts, government literature, and speeches) but rarely in conversation.
Moroccans, Arab and Berber, generally converse in what is called Moroccan Arabic, sometimes referred to as Darija. Moroccan Arabic contains fewer vowel sounds, sounds more guttural, appears to be spoken twice as quickly as MSA, and is at times very similar in pronunciation to Amazight. Influences from Morocco's most recent occupiers, the French and Spanish, are audible in many words, resulting in a distinctly local dialect that (other than for some Algerians and Tunisians) is difficult to understand for other Arabic-speaking people.
For the non-Moroccan, both French and Moroccan Arabic will be useful when traveling in the country. While Moroccan Arabic is the language of everyday conversation between Moroccans, most Moroccans instantly revert to French — or a confusing combination of both — when conversing with a Westerner. In the more heavily touristed areas (and in most regions covered in this guide), English has become more prevalent, and I am constantly amazed at the ease with which many Moroccans have picked up English. My advice is to at least learn a few Moroccan Arabic words and phrases such as “thank you.” As surprising as it may sound, very few travelers attempt this, even though the respect and extra assistance that this will garner may very well be the difference between getting a bargain or being ripped off, and being shown the way out of a medina or being ignored.
Most of the sounds in Moroccan Arabic are similar to English and correspond to the Roman letters used to represent them here. Notable exceptions are:
- “Ai” is pronounced as eye.
- “Ei” is pronounced as the ai in “bait.”
- “Gh” is a sound made in the back of the throat, similar to the rolling “r” sound in French and Spanish.
- “Kh” comes from even deeper in the throat and is a similar sound to the “ch” in the Scottish “loch.”
- “Ou” is pronounced as w.
- “Ow” is pronounced as the ow in “cow.”
- “R” is pronounced with a rolling tongue.
- “S” should always be pronounced as in “say” and not as the middle “s” in season.
- “Zh” is pronounced as the s in “pleasure.”
Other peculiarities for non-Arabic speaking people are:
- The glottal stop (‘); a sound like that made when pronouncing “uh-oh.”
- The letters ä, ï, ö, ü are stressed vowels and should be spoken as a longer sound than is normal in English. For example, ä is pronounced as the a in “father,” ï as the ee in “bee,” ö as the oa in “coat,” and ü as the oo in “boot.”
- With double consonants, the stressed consonant should also be emphasized, as in the “z” in “bezzef.”
Music & Dance in Morocco
Just as Morocco's history can be revealed through its architecture, the country's intricate musical textures also have stories to tell. There are more than 700 dance and music festivals every year, and each region has its own particular flavor.
Tumbling quarter-tones and intoxicating rhythms beckon from every corner, be it Arabic pop or chaabi blaring from a taxi's radio, a snake charmers' rasping oboelike raita, or simply the soulful call of the muezzin from the mosque summoning the faithful to prayer.
Morocco's indigenous people, the Berbers, provide the cultural firmament that gives the music a unique rustic flavor. For thousands of years, the Berbers have populated the coastal plains, desert, and mountains, and have incorporated the rich variety of musical influences brought from the Middle East.
Folk music performs ritualistic, celebratory, and social duties as well as providing a vehicle for broadcasting the news to generations of rural dwellers who might never have learned to read or write. In many regions, traveling poets, or rwais, bring news of current affairs to the weekly souks. In small ensembles, they sing with accompaniment on handcrafted instruments including double-sided duff tambourines and the one-stringed fiddle or rabab. The context is usually celebratory and as such there is a rich stream of folkloric dance styles accompanying the music. In the High Atlas, villagers in local costume will gather around an open fire for a dance called the ahouach; in the Middle Atlas it's the ahidous, where women will dance shoulder to shoulder in a large circle around the seated male musicians who play hand-held frame drums called bendir and ney flutes.
If Berber village music represents a pastoral heritage, then the vestiges of Morocco's foreign military history can be found in its classical music, known as andalous. It stems from the Arabic invasion and subsequent Islamic domination of Spain's Iberian Peninsula from the early 8th century. For 500 years, the Moors ruled the region known as Andalusia — a melting pot of Spanish, Berber, Arabic, and Jewish influences. The complex structure of andalous music is largely attributed to a composer named Ziryab, who traveled to Cordoba from Baghdad in the 9th century and created a highly stylized system of suites called nuba, each nuba corresponding to a time of day. The music was traditionally performed in court settings on state occasions and, though it is still viewed as Morocco's high art, it remains very popular among the general public, with concerts being broadcast every evening on TV during Ramadan. The typical andalous orchestra uses rabab, oud (lute), kamenjah (European-style violin played vertically), kanuun (zither), darbuka (goblet-shaped drum), and taarija (tambourine). When the Arabs were driven out of Spain during the Inquisitions of the 15th century, the music was dispersed across Morocco, and today the most famous orchestras can be found in Fes, Tetouan, Tangier, and Rabat.
Morocco's position at the northern edge of Africa and at the western extreme of the Arab world gave it a key role in trade with Europe and beyond. From this emerged gnaoua. The Gnaoua people are descendants of slaves originally captured by the Arabs during the 17th century in Guinea, Mali, and Sudan and brought across the Sahara for onward trading and to serve the sultans in Morocco. Gnaoua music can be recognized by its call-and-response, blueslike style and its instruments: the bass lute or gimbri, the persistent rhythms of metal castanets or qraqeb, and the acrobatic leaps of the vividly robed dancer-musicians who form the troupe. The effect is intentionally hypnotic; tassels swirling from the dancers' skullcaps and the cyclic groove are all designed to induce a trancelike state in the audience. Gnaoua music is not just entertainment but has a deeply rooted spiritual and healing purpose derived from the Sufi tradition of Islam and ancient sub-Saharan African rituals. The healing ceremonies, or lilas, take place from dusk till dawn and are conducted by a priestess who invokes ancient African spirits, or djinn, and Islamic saints. For many years, respectable Moroccans shunned the music, but now it is openly performed and has pride of place at the annual Gnaoua & World Music Festival in Essaouira, which attracts crowds of 400,000 people.
Heading south toward the Sahara desert, the insistent rhythms of the city slow to a more reflective pace in the valleys of Ziz, Dra, and Souss and beyond to the Western Sahara. Like the mountains, the desert also yields a wealth of folkloric music. The Souss valley is the home of the guedra dance of the Saharan nomads, or “Blue Men.” The word guedra means cooking pot, and it is that pot, covered with an animal hide, which forms the drum. To a hypnotic heartbeat rhythm, a kneeling female dancer carves mesmerizing movements with her arms and fingers. It's said that the ritual can attract a mate from miles away.
From south of Agadir comes the tissint, or “dagger dance,” which forms a central part of marriage ceremonies amongst desert nomads. To a crescendo of drums, the couple performs a passionate duet in which the groom holds a dagger and circles around the girl. He then raises the dagger and puts it around the neck of the young girl before collapsing to his knees. Farther north, where the rivers of Ziz and Rheris meet in the Tafilalt, al baldi draws upon Berber, Arab, African, and Andalusian influences in songs about religious and social issues.
Political and social themes find expression in many modern Moroccan music forms, and toward the fringes of the long-disputed territory of Western Sahara, one is far more likely to hear the yearning voice of Sahrawi refugees living in exile in Mauritania than the classical strains of andalous. The music is sparse, poetic, and dominated by female singers who play a small stringed harp-lute called an ardin; they are often accompanied by a solo electric guitar. Rai music, originating from western Algeria and once rooted in Bedouin music, is also popular. The word rai means “opinion,” and Moroccans have produced their own homegrown variety that reflects contemporary and controversial views on social issues.
Active Pursuits in Morocco
Active Pursuits in Morocco
Morocco is a prime destination for the active and adventurous traveler. Throughout the country, you'll find ways to experience Morocco's diverse culture and natural landscapes and, at the same time, enjoy a wide range of sports and activities. Morocco's compact size affords travelers the luxury of catching a wave before breakfast, heading up to the mountains for a prelunch hike, and finishing the day astride a camel on the edge of the Sahara.
Within Morocco is a well-established adventure-travel industry that is run by both international and local operators, and offers a range of both “soft” and “hard” options. Whether you want adventure travel to be the focus of your trip or you want to treat it as an extra to a more conventional holiday, there are a number of ways to approach it.
This guide outlines everything from tour operators offering combination or special-interest packages to the best locations in Morocco to enjoy specific activities. Some activities — such as bird-watching and mountain trekking — are located within Morocco's underfunded national parks and nature reserves. Although the government has recently created four new national parks, the total protected area within Morocco is less than 1%. Of that miniscule amount, much of the land is still used by bordering communities for grazing and firewood, and information centers or other visitor facilities are practically nonexistent. By far the country's most visited park is the Toubkal National Park in the Western High Atlas, and there's talk that the government may begin charging an admission levy (there are no entrance fees to any of the country's protected areas) on visitors, a move already agreed to in principle by many trekking operators, so long as the funds are used toward the park itself.
Ballooning — In the late 1990s, Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson chose Morocco as his departure point for an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to circumnavigate the globe by balloon. The country is tailor-made for ballooning, one would think, with its scenic mountains, largely unspoiled coastline, and sweeping seas of Saharan sand dunes. It's taken awhile, but there is now one sole outfitter operating balloon flights in Morocco. Ciel d'Afrique (tel. 0524/432843; www.cieldafrique.info) is the passion of exuberant Frenchman Maurice Otin. His Marrakech-based operation offers scenic flights of the wide plains around (but not over) Marrakech and Ouarzazate, with the Western High Atlas as a backdrop. Hour-long flights start from 2,050dh per person (half price for kids 9 and under), with additional extras offered such as a champagne breakfast and video footage. It's best to contact Maurice as early as possible so that weather conditions can be taken into consideration.
Learning & Special Interest Vacations in Morocco
Today's traveler is increasingly looking for more than just superficial sights and experiences. Many visitors come to Morocco hoping to scratch beneath the surface and really get to know the country and, more importantly, its people. Travelers will be confronted daily with random opportunities to interact with Moroccans; many times you'll be invited to share a glass of mint tea, often at the home of the person offering. There are also other, more organized avenues, which take away the initial concerns of safety and communication difficulties. These include volunteering on regional development projects, studying Moroccan Arabic at a local language school, or joining a specific community-based tour.
Volunteering
Volunteer programs abroad used to be the exclusive domain of students and youth travelers, but with the increasingly high profile of eco-tourism, a desire from the average traveler to become more involved in the country he or she is visiting has increased. Collectively being dubbed “voluntourism,” more and more short-term volunteer projects are now being offered by tour operators to complement the choice of volunteer and exchange programs already offered by an established network of volunteer organizations. No matter how short or long, volunteering in Morocco is a great way to see the country in more depth and to greater appreciate the harsh realities faced daily by many locals. Most volunteer organizations are not-for-profit entities that charge participants to go abroad, combining homestays with voluntary service in a variety of community service projects. Voluntourism operators are private tour operators that typically offer 1- to 3-week accommodated holidays, combining sightseeing with the opportunity to assist locals on short-term development projects.
Cross-Cultural Solutions (tel. 800/380-4777 toll-free or 914/632-0022; www.crossculturalsolutions.org) has offices in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, and has recently begun placing volunteers in a variety of locally run organizations dedicated to improving the life of residents in and around Rabat. Programs run from 3 to 12 weeks and are typically geared toward those that assist children and empower women.
Different Travel (tel. 02380/669-903; www.different-travel.com) is a U.K.-based voluntourism specialist offering worldwide volunteering holidays. Their annual 9-day Moroccan Sahara Challenge is specifically geared toward sponsored travelers raising funds for their selected charity and includes 2 days working alongside Berber villagers to refurbish a community center.
Very few girls in Morocco's rural communities are afforded the luxury of continuing their education after primary school. To help tackle this, Moroccan NGO Education For All (tel. 0208/8927767 in the U.K., or 0661/158179 or 0661/158173 in Morocco; www.educationforallmorocco.org) has commenced building and managing boardinghouses specifically for girls and located near secondary colleges, allowing some girls from rural families to continue their education. They often require a volunteer during the school year for their boardinghouse in Asni to assist the housemother in the daily running of the house, as well as assisting the girls in gaining a wider perspective of the world.
The Peace Corps (tel. 800/424-8580 toll-free; www.peacecorps.gov) has been placing American volunteers of all ages and backgrounds in local communities worldwide since 1961. In 1963, Morocco was one of the first countries (73 so far) to invite the Peace Corps to assist in its development. Since then, more than 3,500 Peace Corps volunteers have served in the country in a dazzling array of fields ranging from beekeeping to urban development. Currently, the sectors of environment, health, small business, and youth development are open to volunteers. Projects Abroad (tel. 888/839-3535 toll-free; www.projects-abroad.org) is based in the U.S. with a local office in Rabat, and places Care & Community volunteers in orphanages and centers for children with special needs in and around Rabat.
Operation Smile (tel. 888/677-6453 toll-free or 757/321-7645; www.operationsmile.org) coordinates more than 30 Medical Mission sites in 25 countries, providing free surgeries for thousands of children to repair facial deformities such as cleft lips and cleft palates. They have been well established in Morocco for the past 10 years, with mission partnerships in Casablanca, Fes, Tangier, and others. They welcome medical specialists — plastic surgeons, pediatricians, speech pathologists, and dentists — as well as fourth- or final-year medical students to volunteer on annual 2-week missions to Morocco, which besides treating up to 150 children also provides an educational opportunity for local healthcare professionals.
SPANA (tel. 020/783-13999; www.spana.org) is a U.K.-based animal-welfare organization that operates veterinary centers, mobile clinics, and educational programs throughout North and West Africa and the Middle East. Their Morocco branch has been operating since 1925, and gives volunteer graduate vets the opportunity to work for up to 3 months in one of the country's refuges.
Language Programs
One of the best ways to learn more about both Islamic and Moroccan culture is to enroll in an Arabic language program. Although Moroccans speak their own unique dialect, courses are also conducted in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), which is used throughout the Arabic world. Additionally, Morocco is also a good place to learn French, as it is still used widely in the country, especially in business and tourism.
For learning Arabic, the best-known language school is the Arabic Language Institute in Fes (ALIF) on the eastern edge of the ville nouvelle at 2 rue Ahmed Hiba (tel. 0535/624850; fax 035/931608; www.alif-fes.com). It offers small-group courses in all levels of MSA and colloquial Moroccan Arabic throughout the year. Most 120-hour courses consist of 6-week sessions, though there are special content-based courses (3 weeks), and private or specialized lessons can also be arranged. The current costs (excluding materials, accommodations, and living expenses) are 5,200dh for 3 weeks, 9,400dh for 6 weeks, and 200dh per hour for private instruction (discounted rate for two or more students). Located in a large Moorish-style villa, ALIF also shares its classrooms and grounds with the American Language Center, providing a good place for meeting young Moroccans. In addition to their courses, they also offer a range of cultural and social activities to students.
In Rabat, the highly regarded Center for Cross-Cultural Learning (CCCL), avenue Laalou, Derb Eljirari, 11 Zankat Elhassani (tel. 0537/202365; fax 0537/202367; www.cccl.ma), is located in a 19th-century riad within Rabat's medina. It organizes a variety of cultural and educational activities, including courses in both MSA and colloquial Moroccan Arabic. Its “semi-intensive” (4 weeks/60 hr.) and “intensive” (6 weeks/90 hr.) programs are great for visitors. As part of its partnerships with various U.S. educational institutions, it also offers study-abroad programs, as well as adult programs that combine language lessons with field trips, excursions, and cultural performances.
DMG Arabophon (tel. 0535/603475 or 0535/749893; www.arabophon.com) specializes in Moroccan Arabic, but also offers lessons in MSA, Berber Amazight, French, and German. Along with standard Moroccan Arabic courses of 4 weeks or longer, they also offer a series of traveler-friendly introductory courses, including a half-day “Curious Explorer.” The main office is in Fes, and they have branches in Casablanca, Rabat, and Meknes. Institut Français (www.ambafrance-ma.org/institut) has cultural centers located in most of Morocco's major cities, and offers French-language courses along with various cultural activities. Projects Abroad (tel. 888/839-3535; www.projects-abroad.org) is headquartered in New York and has a local office in Rabat. It offers Arabic- and French-language courses, and places you with a local family who converses in the corresponding language. Sixty hours of private, one-on-one tuition are included each month, and participants choose the length of stay.
CookingAn increasing number of travelers are combining their loves of cuisine and culture. Moroccans take great pride in their culinary skills, as well as their reputation as exemplary dinner hosts, and are always eager to share their kitchen knowledge. In the past, however, the language barrier proved a difficult hurdle for English-speaking travelers, but recently a few select options have begun operating in Fes and Marrakech. Clients are exposed to the other side of the kitchen, joining the cook as he or she visits the local produce souk, butcher, spice seller, and others. This is followed by hands-on instruction in the kitchen, after which you can sample your labor of love in a sit-down meal. Besides the operators listed below, some maisons d'hôte in Fes and Marrakech offer 1-day cooking lessons exclusively to their guests, such as Dar Roumana in Fes and Dar les Cigognes in Marrakech.
Tour Operators
- Fes Cooking (tel. 0615/866144; http://fescooking.com) is operated by Lachen Beqqi, a young Fes-based chef who has quietly built a reputation as a superb culinary guide. His English is as good as his humor, and clients rave about his culinary knowledge and his love for his country. Courses offered range from a single-day lesson to a weeklong “Culinary Adventure,” which includes visits to a Meknes winery and the Middle Atlas Berber village of Azrou.
- The International Kitchen (tel. 800/945-8606 toll-free or 312/467-0560; www.theinternationalkitchen.com) is based in the U.S. and has been providing cooking school vacations since 1994. It offers a range of itineraries to France, Italy, Spain, and Morocco, where its 7-day tour is based in Fes. Cooking lessons are intermingled with tours of the city as well as visits to nearby Meknes and Volubilis.
- Rhode School of Cuisine (tel. 888/254-1070 toll-free or 252/790222; www.rhodeschoolofcuisine.com) is a well-respected specialist gourmet holiday operator offering tours in Italy, France, and Morocco, where its Moroccan cooking school is based in a top-end maison d'hôte in Marrakech's palmeraie. It offers weeklong tours that cater to both culinary and gourmet guests, the former for those who wish to be in the kitchen, the latter for those who don't.
- Souk Cuisine (tel. 0673/804955 or 0524/426965; www.soukcuisine.com) is a cooking school based in a riad within Marrakech's medina. Operated by English-speaking Dutchwoman Gemma Van de Burgt, the 1-day cooking classes are a great way to get to know Marrakech a little better and are very reasonably priced. There are also multiple-day options in conjunction with staying at a nearby maison d'hôte.
Biking in Morocco
With terrain ranging from coastal plains to mountain passes, Morocco's diverse landscape has been consistently attracting mountain bikers for more than 20 years. The country's well-maintained roads, vast network of dirt tracks (pistes), and mountainside footpaths offer very rewarding biking. However, at times this can be tempered, especially on the main roads, with the kamikaze-like nature of most Moroccan drivers. Most bikers, therefore, prefer riding in the biker-friendly Atlas mountain ranges and central Morocco. Popular routes include the roads and pistes that pass through the pink granite boulders around the Anti-Atlas village of Tafraoute; the Central High Atlas pistes and footpaths along the Aït Bou Guemez Valley; Marrakech to Taroudannt via the spectacular Tizi n'Test pass; and the “desert run” down the Dra or Ziz valleys.
Mountain biking in Morocco can be enjoyed year-round, although the summer heat — from June to September — can be overwhelming and severely dehydrating for most riders. Riding at this time of the year may be best kept to the cooler but busier Atlantic coastline. Conversely, the warm days and cool nights experienced throughout most of inland Morocco during the Northern Hemisphere winter can be simply delightful. Besides the aforementioned danger from Morocco's erratic drivers, mountain bikers may also experience some problems with local children, who have at times been known to harass and even throw stones at riders for no apparent reason other than to get a reaction. The best reaction, therefore, is to grin and bear it, and try to quickly ride your way out of the situation. On the other side of the coin, mountain bikers are also likely to experience friendliness and hospitality from local villagers, ranging from advice and lifts to food and water.
Pedal-power transportation is very common among Moroccans, and in most cities, towns, and villages you'll find a local repair shop where patch-up jobs can be performed and where spare tires and tubes can usually be sourced. It's still worth bringing along specific spares, such as brake blocks, cable, and spokes, as well as a puncture repair kit. Remember that not all pistes appear on the map, and navigation without a guide generally requires planning and caution.
When you're tired of sitting in the saddle, Morocco's expansive public transport network makes traveling with your bike relatively easy. Most bus companies will gladly carry your bike for around 20dh, as will grands taxis (if they have space).
Tip: Villages and roadside stops can be few and far between when you're traveling on your own steam, so be sure to stock up on plenty of water and snacks at the beginning of each day. Bringing along a portable water filter is a good idea, as any public water that you find during the day may not be drinkable.
Renting good-quality mountain bikes once in Morocco isn't really an option, and if you want to travel independently, you'll need to bring your own. An exception is Tafraout Aventure (tel. 0528/801368; www.tafraout-aventure.com), which hires out reasonable bikes — some with shock absorbers — from their office in Tafraoute in the Anti-Atlas.
General information on biking can be found on the site of the U.K.'s national cycling association, the Cycle Touring Club, or CTC (tel. 0870/873-0060; www.ctc.org.uk), and members can access Morocco trip reports from fellow members. The Trento Bike Pages (www.trentobike.org) collects worldwide biking tour reports, and always has a good selection of fairly recent reports from rider experiences in Morocco.
Tour Operators
- BikeHike Adventures (tel. 888/805-0061 toll-free; www.bikehike.com) is a U.S.-based tour operator specializing in multisport adventures around the world. Their 10-day Morocco tour is a round-trip from Marrakech to the Erg Chigaga desert dunes, passing over the Western High Atlas and along the Dra Valley. This tour typically combines biking with a few days of traveling by 4WD and an overnight camel trek.
- Cycling Holidays (tel. 0870/235-1356; www.cyclingholidays.org) is affiliated with the British CTC . They usually offer a tour to Morocco each year, which is a round-trip from Marrakech taking in the Tizi n'Test pass and parts of southern Morocco.
- Unique Trails (www.uniquetrails.com) is a Web-based outfit specializing in guided biking tours worldwide. They offer two 10-day Moroccan itineraries, one traversing the High Atlas and riding through the Dadès Gorge and the other over the High Atlas and down through the Dra Valley.
- U.K.-based Wildcat Adventures (tel. 1786/816-160; www.wildcat-bike-tours.co.uk) is considered the leading mountain-bike and road-cycling specialist operating tours to Morocco. They offer numerous all-inclusive guided tours, both mountain and road biking, throughout the year, which usually include bike hire, qualified guides, and backup transport. Their popular 14-day “Morocco Adventure” visits the coastline and mountains of southern Morocco, while an 11-day “Morocco Multi Sport Tour” combines biking with hiking and an overnight camel trek.
Bird Watching in Morocco
Morocco is one of North Africa's best birding locations. There's a wide range of easily accessed sites in a rich diversity of habitats that are often very different from those found in neighboring Europe. More than 480 species have been recorded in Morocco, and birders can usually find something of interest throughout the year. Having said that, the period from March to May is considered the optimum bird-watching season, as a wide variety of species — both resident and migrant — are present, and the weather is generally mild and sunny. Morocco is an important stop for millions of migrants on their way to and from western Europe, and more than 100 species are considered regular winter visitors. Morocco offers good opportunities to see a range of birds such as larks, raptors, warblers, water birds, and wheatears, along with a few specific species that are difficult to find elsewhere.
Merja Zerga (80km/50 miles south of Tangier) was declared a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance back in 1980, and is one of the largest lagoons in Morocco. During the winter months, it's possible to see more than 1,000 greater flamingos, 30,000 ducks, 40,000 Eurasian coots, and 50,000 waders here. The small fishing village of Moulay Bousselham looks out over the lagoon, as well as the near-deserted Atlantic shoreline. Nearby is another Ramsar lagoon, the small but attractive Lac de Sidi Boughaba (30km/19 miles north of Rabat), which is also known for its large winter flocks. Present at various times of the year here are various raptors such as the marsh harrier, montagu harrier, black-shouldered kite, and occasionally Eleonora's falcon. Occasionally spotted at both lagoons are the rare slender-billed curlew and marsh owl.
The Souss-Massa National Park stretches for 70km (43 miles) south of Agadir and is bordered by the Oued Souss and Oued Massa. Best visited between September and April, the mouths of both rivers are among the best bird sites in the country, offering excellent viewing of waders such as avocet, black-winged stilt, and oystercatcher, as well as numerous species of gulls and terns roosting on the sandbars. Also present are many large water birds such as great cormorant, little egret, greater flamingo, gray heron, spoonbill, white stork, and the less common purple heron and glossy ibis. The area leading up to the mouth of the Oued Massa is considered the best spot in Morocco to sight the critically endangered waldrapp, better known as the northern bald ibis, which breeds on the nearby coastal cliffs. The large concentration of water birds consequently attracts numerous species of raptors such as Bonelli's eagle, marsh harrier, and Barbary, lanner, and peregrine falcons.
The islands offshore from the attractive seaside port of Essaouira are one of the world's largest — and Morocco's only — breeding sites for the endangered Eleonora's falcon. This migrant breeder resides here from late April to the end of October, and while the protected islands offer very limited access, the falcon can often be seen hunting at the mouth of the Oued Ksob, to the south of Essaouira's wide bay, during the prebreeding months of May and June.
In the Western High Atlas mountains, both the highly sought-after white-rumped swift and Levaillant's woodpecker can often be seen in the valleys around Asni and Imlil, along with large flocks of both red-billed and alpine chough. The pleasant drive from Marrakech to Oukaïmeden passes through several habitats and offers diverse sightings such as rufous bush robin, alpine swifts, and black wheatear. The little-known crimson-winged finch is a rare resident that can be spotted around Ouakïmeden, as well in the higher reaches of the Middle Atlas.
Possible sightings in the fertile lower valleys of both the Oued Todra and Oued Dadès include common bulbul, gold finch, hoopoe, scops owl, white stork, and blue tit, along with blackbird, nightingale, and various warblers. Breeding specifically in the Dadès Valley is the great spotted woodpecker. Both valleys are also good spots to sight spring migrants, including the pretty European bee-eater, while their gorges offer possible sightings of long-legged buzzard and golden and Bonelli's eagles.
Following the course of the often-dry Oued Dra, the Dra Valley, at various times through the year, is home to many varied species, including little owl and Egyptian vulture. From April to September, the sought-after blue-cheeked bee-eater can also be spotted here, as well as in the palm groves of the Tafilalt region around Erfoud and Merzouga.
Another prized Moroccan sighting is the tristram's warbler, which breeds solely in the scrub of the High Atlas mountains (but is a winter visitor to both the Dadès and Dra valleys) and the tamarisk trees found along the fringe of the Erg Chebbi desert dunes near Merzouga. It also winters in the Souss Valley, which is well known for regular sightings of tawny eagle and dark chanting goshawk.
Special mention must also be made of the impressive migration across the Straits of Gibraltar, which can be observed onshore within the vicinity of Tangier. More than 250 mainly European species have been recorded making the 15km (9-mile) crossing — mainly between March and May and August and October — including bee-eaters, finches, flamingos, gulls, larks, shearwaters, swallows, and wagtails, along with high concentrations of raptors and storks.
As yet, there are no Moroccan-based English-speaking tour operators offering specialized birding tours, and local English-speaking specialists are also sparse. In the village of Moulay Bousselham, local ornithologist Hassan Dalil (tel. 0668/434110) comes highly recommended from fellow travelers, as witnessed in the Birder's Log housed in Restaurant Milano, on the one main street. Mohammed Zaki (tel. 0666/659392; zakitours@yahoo.fr) specializes in the general wildlife (bird life in particular) of Morocco's mountains and desert regions, and is often contracted by various U.K.-based operators. Saïd Ahmoume is Naturally Morocco's resident wildlife guide, with a particular passion for botany and ornithology. He can be contacted through Naturally Morocco.
Some of the better English-language websites for birding in Morocco are Go-South (www.go-south.org), which also has an extensive archive of field reports; African Bird Club (www.africanbirdclub.org), a general information website; and Bird Links to the World (www.bsc-eoc.org/links), which, as the name suggests, is a dedicated site of links to other birding websites. Considered the most comprehensive English-language Moroccan ornithological field guide is the Collins Bird Guide (Collins, 1999) by Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney, Dan Zetterstrom, and Peter J. Grant. Although it's subtitled “The Most Complete Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe,” the book's 392 pages cover Morocco as well. For something that's easier to pack, I recommend A Birdwatchers' Guide to Morocco (Prion Ltd., 2003) by Patrick and Fédora Bergier. The easy-to-read layout includes directions and a map to access each location, though its one downfall is the lack of any pictures for identification. Moroccan NGO Groupe d'Ornithologie du Maroc conducts ornithological studies, issues publications, and generally works for bird life conservation in Morocco. In 2001 and after 6 years of research, they published Les Oiseaux du Maroc, a French-language coffee table-style guidebook that indexes the different species of birds in Morocco, describing them and their natural environment in detail, as well as their migratory patterns. The book received the Hassan II Prize, awarded by the Environment Ministry of Morocco. It's extremely hard to get hold of, but I located it on my last visit to Morocco in Agadir's Librairie Papetrie la Lecture Pour Tous, 11 Passage Aït Souss (tel. 0528/843427). Birding in Morocco (Gostours), by Dave Gosney, is a DVD covering a birding expedition by the author and is full of great footage of many of Morocco's birds.
Tour Operators
- Field Guides (tel. 800/728-4953 toll-free or 512/263-7295; www.fieldguides.com) is a specialist bird-watching tour operator with trips worldwide. They operate an irregular trip to Morocco — the next is in September 2011 — that takes in the country's Atlantic coastline, Atlas mountain ranges, and central desert landscapes. Group size is usually limited to 14 participants.
- Heatherlea (tel. 01479/821248; www.heatherlea.co.uk) is one of the U.K.'s leading wildlife holiday operators, specializing in birding tours worldwide. Their annual 11-day Morocco tour, usually departing at the end of March, is a round-trip from Marrakech, taking in the best birding sites of the Western High Atlas and central and southern Morocco. Group size is limited to 14 participants.
- Naturetrek (tel. 01962/733051; www.naturetrek.co.uk) has more than 20 years' experience in operating natural history and wildlife holidays, including specialist bird-watching tours. This U.K.-based company currently offers four trips to Morocco, including a 5-day “Bald Ibis Break” and a 15-day itinerary that includes 10 days trekking through the Western High Atlas in search of birds and wildflowers.
- Spanish Nature (tel. 616/891359; www.spanishnature.com) is a small Spanish-based tour operator leading bird-watching trips throughout the year to Costa Rica, Spain, and Morocco. They are renowned for their leisurely paced itineraries and quality guides. Most Moroccan tours run for 11 days, and group size is kept to a maximum of 12.
- Wings (tel. 888/293-6443 toll-free; www.wingsbirds.com) has been offering bird-watching tours worldwide for the past 30 years. Their current brochure includes “Morocco in Fall,” an 8-day ramble of the Souss Valley and Agadir coastline, which also includes an offshore pelagic day trip. This trip is limited to 16 participants and includes two specialist leaders.
Golf in Morocco
Introduced to Morocco by the British back in 1917, the sport of golf gained the royal seal of approval during the late 1960s, when King Hassan II became hooked. Pictures in the press showed Hassan II decked out in the latest golf wear — cigarette in one hand, putter in the other — playing the game with like-minded heads of state. A spate of course building followed, and today there are around 20 golf courses in Morocco ranging from 9 to 36 holes, some of which were designed by well-known masters Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones, and Jones's protégé, Cabell B. Robinson. Crown Prince Moulay Rachid shares his late father's passion for the game and has established a Royal Golf Academy, as well as taken on the presidency of the Royal Moroccan Golfing Federation.
The best known of the country's courses is at the Royal Dar es Salaam Golf Club (tel. 0537/755864) in Rabat. Set in a forest of cork, eucalyptus, and oak trees, the club offers two 18-hole courses (called red and blue), and one 9-hole (green) course. The red course — rated in the world's top 100 golf courses by GOLF magazine — plays host to Morocco's annual Hassan II Golf Trophy (www.hassan2golftrophy.com). Founded in 1971, the invitation-only tournament has previously hosted names such as Billy Caspar, Lee Trevino, Payne Stewart, Nick Price, Vijay Singh, Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance, and Ernie Els. There's also a corresponding ladies' tournament — the Lalla Meryem Cup — as well as a very popular 3-day pro-am, where amateurs get to play with a different professional each day.
The beachside resort city of Agadir is home to three clubs: the 9-hole Agadir Royal Golf Club (tel. 0528/248551), the 45-hole Dunes Golf Club (tel. 0528/834690), and the 36-hole Golf du Soleil (tel. 0528/337330; www.golfdusoleil.com). Within the environs of Marrakech are three 18-hole courses: the Marrakech Royal Golf Club (tel. 0524/409828 or 0524/404705), La Palmeraie Golf Club (tel. 0524/368766; www.pgpmarrakech.com), and the Amelkis Golf Club (tel. 0524/404414). Other 18-hole courses can be found along the Atlantic coast in El Jadida (El Jadida Golf Club; tel. 0523/352251), where America's Favorite Golf Schools (www.afgs.com) has recently opened their first non-North American golf school; Mohammedia (near Casablanca; tel. 0523/324656); and the recently lengthened Royal Country Golf Club (tel. 0539/938925) in Tangier. Nine-hole courses include those at Casablanca (within the Anfa Hippodrome; tel. 0522/365355 or 0522/361026); Fes (tel. 0535/665210); Meknes (tel. 0535/530753; www.royalgolfmeknes.com), where the course is floodlit at night and is perhaps the only course in the world located within royal grounds; and Ouarzazate (tel. 0524/882218 or 0524/882486).
Morocco's golf courses are usually open every day to players of any handicap, other than Rabat's red course, which is only open to players of a handicap of 18 or less. Greens fees are around 400dh for 9 holes and 550dh for 18. Most clubs will rent full golf bags (200dh-300dh) and golf carts (200dh-400dh), and caddies are usually compulsory, costing between 60dh and 100dh.
Agadir's Golf du Soleil and Marrakech's La Palmeraie Golf Club both offer packages that include greens fees and other extras, along with prereservation of preferred tee times.
Online golf magazine Golf Today (www.golftoday.co.uk) includes a course directory for Morocco. For a recent appraisal of some of the country's golf courses, read Chaka Travel Managing Director Mark Marias's reviews on the company site.
Tour Operators
- Exclusive Golf (tel. 0870/8704700; www.exclusivegolf.co.uk) has been organizing specialist golf holidays since 1988 and offers packages to both Marrakech and Rabat, usually with special deals that include free greens fees.
- International Golf Adventures (tel. 800/4581792 toll-free or 07092/010677 in the U.K.; www.golfcom.net) offers a number of top-end packaged golf holidays to Morocco playing at some of the Atlantic coast courses, as well as in Marrakech. Tours generally include quality accommodations, most meals, transport, and greens fees.
Other tour operators that can create golf-centric itineraries are Chaka Travel (tel. 028/9023-2112; www.chakatravel.com); the Golf Holiday Company (tel. 08701/121-315; info@golfholidaycompany.com); and the Best of Morocco (tel. 08450/264-585; www.morocco-travel.com).
Hiking in Morocco
Desert Trekking
Morocco's Saharan sand dunes are the stuff of legend, and sitting astride a camel as the sun sets over the golden sands is surely the best way to experience them. The dunes are called ergs, or islands of sand fed by the Sahara Desert to the south, isolated from the main ocean of sand by a hard, stony barrier called hammada. Their ageless scenic beauty and sense of tranquillity, combined with their close proximity to the rest of the country, make desert trekking one of the country's most popular and rewarding experiences. The most easily accessible sand dunes are Erg Chebbi, at Merzouga, and Erg Chigaga, 55km (34 miles) south of M'hamid. There are other smaller dunes closer to M'hamid (Lehoudi and Messouira) and Zagora (Nakhla and Tinfou), as well as along the road between Tinejdad and Erfoud, but they will disappoint if you have come looking for waves of dunes rolling into the horizon.
Exploring the desert can last as little as a couple of hours to a multiple-week caravan trek. Most travelers opt for an overnight excursion, with the mode of travel — camel, 4WD, or a combination of both — dependent on your choice of sand dunes. It's possible to organize this independently, but if you wish to head straight out to overnight in the dunes, you'll need to arrive very early at your auberge or prebook. Camel treks should include all of your meals; some will also include bottled water, but it's worth taking an extra personal supply as well. I normally budget on two large bottles per night, plus a bottle of red wine for sunset on the dune. Blankets and rugs are provided, but they are usually communal, so you may want to take your own sleeping bag or inner sheet. Very rarely will any medical supplies be carried.
Desert camps are usually a collection of semipermanent Berber tents, made from goat's hair. They keep the sand out if the wind is blowing, and are also naturally heated by the sun, which is good for the colder months when nighttime temperatures are decidedly chilly. Some camps, however, might not be as solitary as you'd imagined. The camp may be used by more than one company, or your individual booking may have been combined with others. If you're looking for solitude rather than company, remember that you can simply pick up your blankets and rugs and move out of the camp onto your own secluded dune. Even sleeping 30m (100 ft.) away will give you your own little piece of starlit Sahara.
Visiting the dunes is possible year-round, but from June to August the heat can be distressingly overwhelming. If you must visit at this time, I recommend Erg Chebbi due to the choice of auberges at the dunes' edge — especially if you're traveling with children — rather than the long, hot drive out to Erg Chigaga.
Camel treks organized locally start from 200dh per person for a 2-hour excursion and 350dh for an overnight stay in the dunes, including dinner and breakfast. Some companies offer 2-day/1-night return excursions from Fes or Marrakech, but they may only visit the smaller dunes near Zagora or will be traveling exceedingly long days to fit everything in within the 2 days.
Tour Operators — There are numerous operations — local and international — that organize desert experiences, but most of these companies include a desert trek as part of a wider tour of Morocco. Most of the hotels and maisons d'hôte that we review also organize desert excursions for their guests. Apart from those recommended operators, other desert specialists include:
- Blue Men of Morocco (tel./fax 952/467562; www.bluemenofmorocco.com) is run by American Elena Hall, who divides her time between her two bases in Spain and Merzouga. Married to a local Berber, she is a desert expert and personally organizes each traveler's itinerary.
- Desert Dream (tel./fax 0524/885343; www.sahara-desert-dream.com) is an Ouarzazate-based outfit specializing in desert excursions by both camel and 4WD, and recommended by fellow travelers.
- Desert Majesty (tel. 0661/235636 or 0671/660494; www.desertmajesty.com) is a little gem of a tour company, operated by ex-Brit Felicity Greenlaw-Weber and desert legend Abdelhadi Slimani. Their combined experience affords clients excellent organization, honest advice, unparalleled experience, and expert local knowledge. As the name suggests, their specialty is the desert fringes of central and southern Morocco.
- Equatorial Travel (tel. 01335/348770; www.equatorialtravel.co.uk) is a small U.K.-based outfit operating on fair-trade principles and specializing in central and southern Morocco desert excursions, especially the area encompassing the Dra Valley down to Erg Chigaga.
- Mountain Travel Sobek (tel. 888/687-6235 toll-free or 510/594-600; www.mtsobek.com) was one of the pioneers of adventure travel, offering trips since 1969. Their 2-week “Morocco Camel Trek” travels from Marrakech to Fes via the Dra Valley, Erg Chebbi, and Meknes, and includes a 4-day vehicle-supported camel trek.
Mountain Trekking
With its four distinct mountain ranges — High Atlas, Middle Atlas, Anti-Atlas, and the Rif — Morocco offers the walker, hiker, and mountaineer an incredible and rewarding variety of scenery, climate, and terrain. Besides Jebel Toubkal and its northern approaches, Morocco's mountains see relatively few travelers and can feel practically deserted when compared to those of Europe and North America. Just as rewarding as exploring the mountains themselves is encountering the Berbers who live in the valleys and on the lower slopes. These resilient mountain folk are renowned for their hospitality, and along with their picturesque kasbah villages — often surrounded by steep terraces of crop and fruit and nut trees — never fail to leave an impression.
If you have the time, trekking through the mountains is one of the must-dos in Morocco. The variety of terrain and differing degrees of access offer something for everyone, from walking through aromatic forests to scrambling over granite boulders.
One of the most popular mountain treks is the ascent of Jebel Toubkal (4,167m/13,671 ft.), North Africa's highest peak and part of the Western High Atlas. The mountain is the centerpiece of the Toubkal National Park, created in 1942 and Morocco's oldest. The usual starting point for this trek is the trail head village of Imlil, and to a lesser degree the ski-resort village of Oukaïmeden. Soft trekking is also popular here, with many trails passing through the region's valleys and villages, providing pleasant day and multiday walks, especially during summer when the heat in Marrakech can become unbearable. Other trekking spots include the Aït Bou Guemez Valley in the Central High Atlas, a beautiful part of the High Atlas range and trail head valley for ascents of Morocco's third-highest peak, Ighil Mgoun (4,071m/13,356 ft); Jebel Sarhro and Jebel Siroua, two ranges on the south side of the High Atlas requiring a degree of trekking self-sufficiency; the cedar forests, lakes, and craters around Ifrane in the Middle Atlas and only 2 hours' drive from Fes or Meknes; the boulder-strewn Anti-Atlas cliffs and fertile palmeraies around Tafraoute; and the peaks and valleys of the Rif mountains, to the south of the relaxed village of Chefchaouen.
It's possible to walk, hike, and climb in Morocco year-round. Some regions, however, are better explored during certain seasons. Generally speaking, Morocco's mountain ranges are at their most pleasant during late spring, when winter snows are almost entirely melted away, visibility is good, and the days are warm, while nights are still fresh enough to require warm bedding and a cup of hot mint tea. Trekking in snow-topped regions during early spring (Mar-Apr) requires some caution, as this is a time for flash floods caused by melting snow. November to February can be bitterly cold in Morocco's mountains, and some of the higher passes and peaks — including Jebel Toubkal — may be impassable, although others such as Jebel Sarhro, Jebel Siroua, and parts of the Anti-Atlas can still provide sunny days and pleasant trekking. Heading to the mountains during summer (June-Sept) is a great way to escape the heat from the plains (coastal or desert) below, although trekking in the exposed Rif mountains and in some of the Atlas's lower valleys may not be so pleasant.
The Islamic fasting month of Ramadan can also be a time to avoid trekking. Although Morocco's mountain Berbers are generally relaxed about most things, most will be reluctant to work during this time. Most trekking companies will have made prior arrangements for this, but independent trekkers may have to modify their plans to fit in with the locals.
An increase in visitors exploring Morocco's mountains over the past 10 or so years has coincided with a general upsurge in Morocco's economy, and today some regions have become decidedly more developed, boasting recently acquired services such as electricity and telecommunications, a more organized trekking infrastructure providing qualified guides, and a wider choice of accommodations. In a farsighted attempt to balance the needs of the environment with those of the people, the High Atlas Tourist Code has been developed by the villagers living in the Aït Mizane Valley, below Jebel Toubkal, which has led to a waste-disposal service and a 4WD ambulance service. Development is less evident in other mountainous regions, and trekkers will have to be more resourceful when it comes to accommodations and guiding services, and be aware of their environmental impact, such as using gas heating rather than firewood and waste disposal.
Besides the comparative luxury available in the Western High Atlas, most other trekking regions offer limited, and sometimes very basic, accommodations options. The Club Alpin Français (CAF) operates five refuges in the Toubkal National Park, including the Neltner-Toubkal refuge, from where most ascents to the Toubkal peak depart. Right next to this refuge, a new and decidedly better-appointed private refuge opened in June 2007. Some trekking regions are equipped with gites d'étape, basic village houses licensed to serve hot meals and provide lodging for tourists. Gites d'étape have proven to be an important boost to the local economy, with the revenue generated from lodging a relatively low number of trekkers equivalent to a year's farming.
All of the trekking regions listed above have at least one principal village where independent trekkers can engage the services of mountain guides, mules to carry bags, and cooks if required. Hiring a qualified guide de montagne (mountain guide) is recommended, even for experienced trekkers, for their all-purpose benefits of translator, navigator, negotiator, and first-aid officer, and also for the purely economical benefit it brings to their family and village. Officially accredited mountain guides have been trained at the Centre de Formation aux Métiers de Montagne at Tabant in the Aït Bou Guemez Valley, and should carry a photo identity card to prove it. Note: Also trained at the center, but for only 1 week, are accompagnateurs. These “escorts” are not qualified to a lead a trip on their own, and should only be hired as trek assistants. More than 400 accredited mountain guides operate throughout Morocco, many of which can be hired from bureaux des guides (guide offices) located in Imlil, Setti Fatma, Azilal, Tabant, and El Kelaâ M'Gouna, near Boumalne du Dadès. To locate a guide in other regions, asking around normally yields quick results; just be sure to check his credentials.
When negotiating an independent trek with a guide, make sure to discuss in detail your desired itinerary, objectives, and expectations, and assess the need for a cook and mules. Also ensure that everyone is in agreement on the accommodations and catering situation while on trek. Before setting off, also agree on a price for all services provided. The daily rate for a guide currently starts at 500dh per group, but this can vary according to the season and location. A mule (including its handler, called a muleteer) currently costs an extra 150dh per day. Your guide will usually receive free accommodations, but you may have to cover his food costs. Budget on also giving the guide (and muleteer) at least a 10% tip on top of all of these costs. El Aouad Ali (known simply as Ali; tel. 0666/637972; elaouad_Ali@yahoo.fr) comes highly recommended by renowned Atlas guru Hamish Brown .
Trek Hire UK (tel. 01483/209559 in the U.K.; www.trek-hire.co.uk) can supply hikers with sleeping bags, warm jackets, walking poles, crampons, and ice axes, delivered to any of the accommodations in Marrakech.
Maps — topographical or otherwise — of Morocco's trekking regions are notoriously hard to come by, especially within the country. The only maps to be consistently found are the Moroccan Division de la Cartographie topographical map of the Jebel Toubkal Massif, including the lower valleys around Amizmiz, Oukaïmeden, Taliouine, and the Tizi n'Test; and a more basic map of the Ighil Mgoun Massif, published by West Col, which also has some useful information on possible routes and circuits. These are available online at Map Shop (www.themapshop.co.uk), Maps Worldwide (www.mapsworldwide.com), and Stanfords (www.stanfords.co.uk).
Michael Peyron's two-volume Great Atlas Traverse (West Col, 1990) remains the definitive guidebook on trekking in the Atlas mountains. It covers the author's linear traverse from the western Anti-Atlas across to Midelt, and gives a fair bit of background information. Trekking in the Moroccan Atlas (Trailblazer, 2000), by Richard Knight, is well researched and offers lots of useful “before you go” information, though is slightly unambitious and only covers the most popular trekking routes, with only sketched maps. The revised edition of Karl Smith's Trekking in the Atlas Mountains (Cicerone, 2004) is a compact, waterproof guide with route descriptions of some Toubkal, Mgoun, and Sahro treks, unfortunately with hardly any maps. Climbing in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas (Cicerone, 2004), by Claude Davies, is an excellent, compact guide for experienced climbers heading to the crags near Tafraoute.
If your French is up to scratch, then the website for the Moroccan branch of Club Alpin Français (www.caf-maroc.com) contains a wealth of trekking information. Nomadic Morocco operates a very handy and informative blog (http://nomadicmorocco.blogspot.com) with regular updates on trekking conditions, mainly in the Western High Atlas.
Tour Operators
By far the easiest way to trek in Morocco is through a specialist operator. Nowadays, travelers are spoiled for choice, as the number of operators, both local and international, offering mountain treks is considerable.
Local
- Bureau des Guides d'Imlil (tel./fax 0524/485626; bureau.guides@yahoo.fr) is located in the trail head village of Imlil. They coordinate the availability of the region's accredited mountain guides, and can arrange everything from overnight ascents of Jebel Toubkal to multiday hikes that include a guide, mules, accommodations, and meals.
- Kasbah du Toubkal (tel. 0524/485611; www.kasbahdutoubkal.com) has its own mountain guide office in Imlil and offers a range of trekking options for guests as well as for nonresidents at an additional cost. Along with all-inclusive ascents of Jebel Toubkal, among other trekking options offered is a full-day “deluxe” trek into the surrounding countryside, complete with lunchtime picnic. The kasbah itself is also a nice lunch stop for day-trippers and has a million-dollar rooftop view.
- Nomadic Morocco (tel. 0678/875057; www.nomadicmorocco.com) is run by Irish-French couple Des and Nathalie Clark, who are based in Taroudannt. They specialize in high-quality, personalized mountain treks throughout Morocco, and are also involved in numerous health projects in some of the villages they trek through. Sister company Toubkal Mountain Guides (www.toubkalmountainguides.com) specializes in climbing Jebel Toubkal, including 3- to 5-day winter ascents.
International
- Hamish Brown (tel./fax 01592/873-546) is an Atlas expert, having visited Morocco's mountains for more than 40 years. He occasionally leads specialist tours, and it's worth getting in touch with him. His U.K.-based Atlas Mountains Information Services is a good source of information, and often has copies of maps that are hard to come by.
- Journey Beyond Travel (tel. 765/387-4404 in the U.S., 020/8123-8708 in the U.K., or 0672/882529 in Morocco; www.journeybeyondtravel.com) is a small-tour operator offering a range of itineraries to the Toubkal, Mgoun, and Rif trekking regions.
- Sherpa Expeditions (tel. 020/857-7217; www.sherpaexpeditions.com) has been specializing in guided walks since 1973, and offers two tours to Jebel Toubkal and one to Jebel Sarhro. For the past 10 years, it has also offered unique self-guided walking holidays, and the 8-day “Inn-to-Inn” walk, although accompanied by a local guide/muleteer, is a great combination of organized and independent.
- Walks Worldwide (tel. 01524/242-000; www.walksworldwide.com) has a great range of Morocco trekking itineraries for all levels of interest and fitness. Besides Jebel Toubkal, they also have guided tours to Jebel Sarhro, the Rif mountains, and a deluxe, easygoing 7-day “Morocco In Style” itinerary.
Skiing in Morocco
Anytime from November to April, the peaks of the Western and Central High Atlas offer the opportunity for African skiing. Although obviously not comparable to the slopes of Europe and North America, skiing in Morocco offers the more intrepid skier an intoxicating mix of sport, culture, and adventure. The country's two better-known ski fields are only a 1- to 2-hour drive from Marrakech and Fes, respectively, and returning to these ancient, bustling, and much warmer cities after a day out in the snowy wilderness is a typically Moroccan attack on the senses.
Morocco's only true ski resort is at Oukaïmeden, 70km (43 miles) south of Marrakech. When conditions are good, 3,263m-high (10,705-ft.) Jebel Oukaïmeden's north-facing slope has up to 20km (13 miles) of trails on eight marked pistes, with access provided by one chairlift and six surface lifts. The headline black run would fit right in at a European resort, but the lack of slope maintenance — and the prevalence of submerged rocks — can make the downhill challenging. The quality and length of Oukaïmeden's snow season has varied greatly over recent years, but your best bet is between mid-January and mid-February, when unfortunately it can also get horrendously busy on the weekends. Ski equipment can be hired in the village, which is only 200m (655 ft.) from the chairlift station, but can be of an amazingly varied quality, and you may also have to bargain for the cost. Gear can also be rented in Marrakech, but it's really worth bringing your own if you're a serious skier. When there's enough snow cover, the volcanic crater of Mischliffen, near the Middle Atlas village of Ifrane, also offers a fun day's skiing, with a few trails that are great for beginners, accessed by a couple of surface lifts or by simply hiking up the slopes. There's usually some equipment for hire in Ifrane.
Also possible on the Atlas's peaks and slopes is ski mountaineering, or ski randonné. Popular with the French and Swiss, the sport is becoming more common nowadays in the Western High Atlas and on the slopes above Aït Bou Guemez Valley in the Central High Atlas. This off-piste skiing requires regular carving skis with special mountaineering bindings that allow the heel to release when climbing, and that can be fixed when skiing down. Removable skins for the bottom of the skis will also better enable you to go uphill. You'll have to bring all this equipment with you.
Irish-Moroccan trekking company Nomadic Morocco operates a very handy and informative blog (http://nomadicmorocco.blogspot.com) with regular snow and weather updates.
Tour Operators — There are no specialist tour operators offering Morocco skiing itineraries. Hotels in Ifrane and Oukaïmeden will usually be able to assist prospective skiers with equipment and transport to their respective ski fields. Getting to any other snow-covered areas usually requires high levels of perseverance and adaptability, but this can prove to be part of the adventure. Ski mountaineering in Morocco requires the assistance of a guide, who will organize accommodations, mules, porters, and even cooks. If you wish to preorganize this, try contacting the Bureau des Guides d'Imlil (tel./fax 0524/485626; bureau.guides@yahoo.fr), the official mountain guide center for the entire Western High Atlas region, or Kasbah du Toubkal, also in Imlil (tel. 0524/485611; fax 0524/485636; www.kasbahdutoubkal.com).
Surfing in Morocco
Morocco's Atlantic coastline has a good selection of mostly uncrowded surf breaks, and when combined with the country's culture, cuisine, and other attractions, they make for a fascinating “surfari.” Although surfing in Morocco was initially introduced by Americans and Australians in the '70s, Europeans and Moroccans are now the most common of those out in the water. In the past decade, the sport has gained in popularity, assisted by King Mohammed VI, who is patron of the Oudayas Surf Club in Rabat. There are now surf schools, shops, and camps dotted along the coastline, as well as a number of domestic competitions and surf riders' associations.
Although September through April is when you'll find the most consistent swells, decent surf occurs throughout the year, thanks to swells generated by the North Atlantic depressions combined with light offshore trade winds. Localism is yet to rear its ugly head in any great fashion, at least by Moroccans anyway, who are still rapt to share their waves with “cool” foreign surfers.
Point, reef, and beach breaks are to be found all the way from north of Rabat (Mehdiya Plage) to south of Agadir (Sidi Ifni). Between El Jadida and Safi are some excellent right-handers, as well as the beginner-friendly lagoon at Oualidia. Farther south there are quite a few breaks between Essaouira and Agadir, including Imessouane (another long right-hand break and a personal favorite) and the world-class wave at Anchor Point, just north of the surfer's village of Taghazout. As with most exotic surfing destinations, the most convenient way to access Morocco's surf breaks is by renting a car.
Recommended surf schools include Surfland (tel. 0523/366110), overlooking the Oualidia lagoon; Kahina (tel. 0528/826032; www.kahinasurfschool.com) at Imessouane; and Rapture (tel. 0662/879389; www.rapturecamps.com) in Tamraght, near Taghazout. In Essaouira are Club Mistral (tel. 0524/783934; www.club-mistral.com) and Magic Fun Afrika (tel. 0661/103777 or 0661/170410; www.magicfunafrika.com), which offer lessons and rent, sell, and repair equipment.
The Stormrider Guide Europe — The Continent (Low Pressure, 2006), by Bruce Sutherland, includes the best available write-up on Morocco's surf spots, while the site for Global Surfers (www.globalsurfers.com) offers plenty of specific information on most of Morocco's breaks and has a handy forum where current localized information can be sourced.
Tour Operators
- Nomad Surfers (tel. 971/306992; www.nomadsurfers.com) is a Spanish-based company offering surfaris worldwide, including Morocco, where they have an operation in Tamraght, near Taghazout.
- Pure Vacations (www.purevacations.com) is a U.K.-based travel specialist offering holidays worldwide, and has recently commenced an Ultimate Moroccan Surf Tour. The 7-night tour begins and finishes in Agadir, and includes return flights from London, all accommodations, meals, transport, and an accompanying surf guide and life guard.
- Surf Maroc (tel. 01794/322-709; www.surfmaroc.co.uk) is a U.K.-based operation offering surf holidays, lessons, and yoga retreats from their Taghazout operation.
- Zoco Boardriding Adventures (tel. 0871/218-0360 in the U.K., or 020/8144-1035 from elsewhere; www.zocotravel.com) offers surfing holiday packages, including a 7-night Morocco tour specifically for groups (school, surf clubs, university), which includes accommodations, surf tuition, meals, and transport.
Wind Surfing
Essaouira's wide bay offers a variety of conditions for both kitesurfers and windsurfers, and annually hosts a leg of the Kiteboard Pro World Cup. The “Windy City” experiences almost daily winds ranging from 20 to 35 knots, and with no reef or strong current, the shallow 3km-wide (1 3/4-mile) bay is perfect for all skill levels. June through August, morning conditions can range from flat to a slight wind chop — and is usually when beginner's classes are taken — while wind speeds in the afternoon can reach up to 35 knots. For the rest of the year, particularly in spring and autumn, the North Atlantic swell, assisted by wind speeds of between 20 and 30 knots, makes for particularly good wave-sailing conditions, especially on the southern side of the bay. This end of the bay is generally considered the kitesurfing zone, though wave sailors also congregate here, while beginners of both sports may feel more comfortable in the relatively calmer waters closer to the port.
The small beach of Moulay Berzouktoune, 20km (12 miles) north of Essaouira, offers one of the best wave-sailing locations outside Europe. Known simply as Moulay, this is only for experienced wave sailors, as both the current and cross-shore wind here are stronger than those at Essaouira. Similar in wind strength and wave size is Sidi Kaouki, about 10km (6 miles) south of Essaouira. Conditions here, however, can vary, and stretched along the beach are a few different entry points for both intermediate and experienced wave sailors.
Kitesurfing and windsurfing schools in Essaouira include the beachside Club Mistral-Skyriders (tel. 0524/783934; www.club-mistral.com) and nearby Magic Fun Afrika (tel. 0661/103777 or 0661/170410; www.magicfunafrika.com), both of which also rent equipment. Note that most schools will only rent kitesurfing equipment if you are experienced enough to ride upwind and can perform self-rescue, generally considered IKO level 3. Less experienced kitesurfers can sometimes still rent equipment, but there may be a 30% surcharge for supervised rental.
Essaouira surf shops Gipsy Surfer (tel. 0661/947092) and U.K.-owned No Work Team (tel. 0524/475272) both sell kitesurfing and windsurfing equipment.
Tour Operators — Most international tour operators offering kitesurfing holidays to Morocco contract their ground operations to Skyriders, the Moroccan branch of Club Mistral , including Planet Kitesurf (tel. 0870/749-1959; www.planetkitesurf.com), a U.K.-based travel operator specializing in kitesurfing holiday packages.