Morocco

If you are looking for a special destination and do not want to fly for a long time, you should definitely go to Morocco. Within 3 hours you are from Amsterdam on a different continent with a different culture. Morocco is very versatile. You can visit the desert, the atlas mountains, the coast and historical sites.

In Morocco you can easily travel by public transport, but you can also rent a car. Below you see an example route, which we followed in 3 to 4 weeks by public transport.

Sample route 3 weeks

Marrakech

We had booked a Riad (Hotel Sherazade) https://www.hotelsherazade.com/index_eng.php in Marrakech with the transfer from the airport.. A taxi driver waited at the airport. As soon as you drive into the city you get the feeling that you are driving in a different continent with all those terracotta-colored buildings. A room with air conditioning is recommended, because in the summer the temperature is quickly around 38 degrees.

A riad is a traditional Moroccan house with an interior garden. These are located in the walled part of the city, the Medina.

Many Riads are now hotels, where you can also enjoy breakfast on the roof terrace.

The Djeema el Fna is the famous square of Marrakech and the heart of the Medina. You can stroll along the stalls and watch the snake charmers and acrobats. Along the square are all kinds of restaurants, from which you have a nice view of the square and the minaret of the koutoubia mosque.

The Badia Palace, built after the victory in the Battle of the Three Kings at Ksar el-Kebir (1578), was so great and impressive that it was named El Badi (incomparable). Today it is an impressive ruin, because Sultan Moulay Ismail largely demolished it. This because the palace reminded him of his illustrious predecessors. Now storks are nesting on the walls.

From Marrakech you can book a multi-day excursion to Mezrouga and Erg Chebbi. You cross the Atlas mountains, you visit the Aïd Benhaddou Kashba, an oasis, the Todra gorge and the film studio in Ouarzate. Then, at sunset, you will ride a camel towards a Bedouin camp in the desert, where you will spend the night in a tent under the stars. You can book this tour in your hotel or online. If you have rented a car, you can also drive this route yourself.

Ouarzazate

Ouarzazate is known as the Hollywood of Morocco. Many films have been shot here, such as Asterix and Obelisk: Mission Cleopatra, Gladiator and Jewel of the Nile. You visit the film studio with a guide and walk past all kinds of props and sets.

Oasis

On the way you stop at a large oasis. This town is a green place with a river in the middle of the rocky dry area of ​​the Atlas Mountains.

Todra gorge

The Todra gorge is a long narrow gorge consisting of rust-red rocks. The rift was cut thousands of years ago by the raging river that then flowed there. Today it is only a small glacier stream. In some places, the red canyon is just over 10 meters wide, with huge perpendicular rock walls reaching heights of up to 300 meters on either side of the canyon. You feel tiny between these impressive walls.

Erg Chebbi

From Merzouga you go on a camel to a Bedouin camp, where you will spend the night. Because of the temperature, you don’t leave until sunset. The guide ensures that you have enough water with you. Along the way you also stop once to climb a dune and enjoy the view.

Arrived at the camp, a meal is prepared and music is played and sung by a campfire. Then everyone goes to their tent, because in the morning you are woken up early to watch the sunrise. Then the way back follows early in the morning.

Kashba of Agdz

There are many kasbahs in the Draa valley. Tamnougalt is located near Agdz. This Berber castle is made of wood and dried earth mixed with straw. Some kasbahs have been renovated and transformed into hospitable hotels. At sunset, these buildings provide a brilliant color palette against the backdrop of the red-blue rocks and thousands of palms.

Ait Benhaddou

Aït-Ben-Haddou is a medieval fortified city along a river. The city is known for its beautiful kasbahs, which are built against a hill. These are made up of clay and together are called the ksar. The kasbahs are reinforced by walls with corner towers with narrow alleys in between, and with this a typical example of South Moroccan architecture. The city is on Unesco world heritage list and attracts many visitors every year

The city has about 750 inhabitants, most of whom nowadays live in modern houses in a neighborhood on the other side of the river. However, a few families still live within the ksar. The grain storage is at the very top, again within an enclosure. This was the best defended part of the ksar.

This town has also been the setting for the film The Gladiator and the Game of Thrones series.

After the multi-day excursion you will return to Marakech, where you will stay another night, before heading towards the coast.

Agadir

After such an active excursion you can relax on the coast in Agadir. This is the largest beach resort in the country. Agadir is a popular holiday destination due to its climate and location by the sea. The bay has a wide sandy beach and many hotels, shops and catering establishments.

Essaouira

Today Essaouira is mainly known as a tourist attraction. It is also a popular place for kite, wind and wave surfers. The Medina of Essaouira is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There is a small fishing port, where a significant amount of fish is caught. This coastal town is about 3 hours drive from Marrakech and it has a very nice, relaxed atmosphere.

You can wander here past the many stalls and shops of the medina. Also visit the harbor and fish market and stroll along the city walls and the Skala de la Ville (a bastion built along the cliffs)

Rabat

Rabat is one of the four imperial cities in Morocco. For us, Rabat was a stopover in the direction of Fez. We recommend visiting the Kasbah des Oudaias. A kind of village with white houses with blue doors that makes you escape from the bustle of the Moroccan capital.
Here you can enjoy an exceptionally beautiful view of the sea that flows next to Rabat.

Meknes

Meknes is a city in the middle of Morocco and is located on a plain not far from the Atlas Mountains and the city of Fez. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco, along with Fez, Marrakesh and Rabat. Under the reign of Moulay Ismail, Meknes became the capital of the Alawite Empire for a short period, from 1675 to 1728. Moulay Ismail built the capital with beautiful structures, including his mausoleum.

The city is still surrounded by ramparts. Because of its beauty, the city is also called the ‘Versailles of Morocco’. The city was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.

We visited Meknes mainly because of the nearby Roman settlement Volubilis.

Volubilis was the administrative center for this part of Roman Africa. In the fertile region, large-scale grain and olives were grown and exported to Rome. Both products were also processed in the city into bread or oil and soap. Volubilis was also a place where the Romans bought lions, bears, leopards and the like for the wild animal fighting in the Circus Maximus and similar arenas. At that time, these animals were still found in the wild in North Africa.

Fez

As one of the four imperial cities, Fez is a part of most trips through Morocco. The well-preserved old center, which will now receive even more attention to conservation and restoration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracts visitors. There are also various old crafts, such as the carpet industry (Berber carpets), pottery (from tagines to the mosaics) and the old leather industry.

The medina of Fez has many beautiful entrance gates. the Bab Boujloud is one of the most beautiful. This blue gate leads you straight to the heart of the medina. Especially in the evening it is very busy.

The Madrassa Bou Inania is a religious school in Fez. This is located in the middle of the Medina. You wouldn’t expect that from such an imposing building.

In Fez you can visit a tannery. You get a beautiful view over the hardworking craftsmen. After viewing the baths from the roof terrace, descend into a gigantic department store filled with leather items.

From the beautiful train station of Fez, you will return to Marrakech.