Tiznit
The minaret of the Grande Mosquée (closed to non-Muslims) is studded with jutting wooden sticks, in the style of Sahel mosques including the famous…
Must-see attractions in Morocco
Akchour
Cascading over smooth jagged rocks, the Akchour waterfall feeds into a turquoise pool. The view is breathtaking, especially when enjoyed with a fresh…
Dadès Valley
This spectacular example of a mid-19th-century fortified village was crumbling to dust when it underwent a major restoration using traditional techniques…
Kâat Ben Nahid & Bab Debbagh
Opened in 2019 as a sister museum to MACMA in Gueliz, this small private gallery beautifully displays the big guns of Orientalist painting inside a 17th…
Taroudant
The 7.5km of ramparts surrounding Taroudant are among the best-preserved rammed-earth walls in Morocco. Their colour changes from golden brown to deepest…
Tangier
Tangier once had 17 synagogues and 27,000 Jewish residents. That number has dwindled and the only synagogue open to the public is Nahon – but it's a…
Parque Marítimo del Mediterráneo
Ceuta
This creative maritime park is a real hit in the summer and perfect for families. One of several parks developed by the artist and architect César…
Mirleft
Four kilometres south of Mirleft is this truly wild beach, accessible down a set of steps, featuring caves, cliffs and crashing waves great for surfing…
Casa Ibáñez Museum De Arte Contemporáneo
Melilla
Melilla's best gallery can be found inside Torre de la Vela, an 18th-century building within the fortress walls. It's worth wandering the six showrooms…
Ceuta
This two-floor gallery houses temporary art exhibitions lasting four years each. Squeezed out of the fort's unforgiving architecture, it's a beautifully…
Mouassine & Central Souqs
While house-hunting in the medina, Parisian Patrick Menac'h stumbled across a historic treasure of great cultural significance. Beneath the layers of…
Midelt
A drive through this spectacular gorge, following the river along a badly degraded road from Midelt, is truly breathtaking. Past the first abandoned…
Mouassine & Central Souqs
This palace was built for Pacha Thami El Glaoui, also known as the Lord of the Atlas, who ruled over Marrakesh from 1912 to 1956. It is one of the medina…
Rabat
When the French arrived in the early 20th century, this walled medina by the sea was the full extent of the city. Built on an orderly grid in the 17th…
Meknes
Opposite the Grande Mosquée, this religious school, completed in 1358, is typical of the exquisite Merinid interior design. Although it is not as lavish…
Essaouira
Essaouira’s wide, sandy beach is great for walking and kitesurfing, but sunbathing and swimming can be difficult when the winds are strong. For swimming,…
Marrakesh
Only a couple of synagogues in the Mellah are still used by Marrakesh's dwindling Jewish community, including this one, which doubles as an interesting…
Kâat Ben Nahid & Bab Debbagh
Flights of fancy come with the territory at Dar Bellarj, a stork hospital (bellarj is Arabic for stork) turned into Marrakesh’s premier arts centre. Each…
Agadir
Offering superb views, the hilltop kasbah 7km northwest of the centre is a rare survivor of the 1960 earthquake. Built in 1541 and restored in the 1740s,…
Essaouira
Essaouira's large working port is noisy, pungent and hugely atmospheric. Along with the flurry of sea-blue wooden boats arriving and departing, nets being…
Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden
Marrakesh
Spanning 900 sq m of exhibition space across two floors, this impressive museum showcases contemporary African artwork from all corners of the continent…
Kâat Ben Nahid & Bab Debbagh
Currently closed for restoration that's scheduled to finish in spring 2020, this Quranic learning centre was once the largest in North Africa and remains…
Meknes
Cleared by Moulay Ismail so his populace could better admire Bab El Mansour, this square is the social heart of the medina, and it really livens up at…
Meknes
Closed since 2016 for a massive renovation, the final resting place of the sultan who made Meknes his capital in the 17th century is ordinarily a must-see…
Marrakesh
Farid Belkahia (1934–2014) was one of the most well-known figures in 20th-century Moroccan art. This museum, housed in the artist's old villa, exhibits a…
Essaouira
You might recognise the ramparts of the 18th-century Skala de la Ville. They, along with the hulking Bastion Nord, had a starring role in Game of Thrones…
Fez
Unless you have a special invitation to the palace grounds, you'll have to settle for admiring its seven imposing front gates, surrounded by fine tilework…
Fez
These 14th-century tombs are in a dramatic, advanced state of ruin. The real draw is the spectacular views over Fez and the mountains to the north. At…
Marrakesh
The Alouani Bibi family have thrown open the doors of this old riad to display their eclectic and fascinating collection of Moroccan artefacts. From…
Marrakesh
Muslim burial grounds in Morocco are typically closed to visitors, but this sprawling walled Jewish cemetery of whitewashed tombs admits all who wish to…
Tangier
This eclectic museum is housed in a former synagogue. Here you will find an open 2-storey room with an engaging collection of B&W photographs of 19th- and…
Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle
Channelling New York gallery fashions, this one is up a dim, once-grand staircase in an industrial-chic chamber with the obligatory exposed brick-and…
Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle
Stop and smell the roses at this 8-hectare royal garden, dating from the 18th century. It now offers free wi-fi at various outdoor hotspots, which draw a…
Northern Atlantic Coast
Small and relatively easy to navigate, this 13th-century walled medina retains an almost medieval flavour. It's visited on a regular basis by the city's…
Essaouira
Head to the port in the afternoon when the sea-blue boats come in for the day and the fishermen auction off their catch. There's always some heated…
Tangier
The wide city beach is well maintained and a fresh corniche (beachfront road) works well for a seaside stroll, with parks, playgrounds and fancy glass…
Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle
One of Gueliz's most upmarket private galleries, David Bloch exhibits provocative international contemporary art in a striking black-and-white setting…
Fez
This nonprofit organisation, established in 1927, is dedicated to giving the working donkeys, mules and horses of the Fez medina a better life, with…
Meknes
On the north side of Place El Hedim, this museum was under renovation at last visit, with a possible reopening in 2020. Built in 1882 by the powerful…
Casablanca
The only Jewish museum in the Arabic-speaking world, this institution is set in an attractive garden villa that once functioned as a Jewish orphanage. It…
