Things to do in Morocco
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TOP SELLER
Best Of Morocco
15 days (Casablanca)
by Intrepid
Soak up panoramic views of the High Atlas Mountains, Explore the fortified city of Ait Benhaddou, Indulge your senses in the souqs of Marrakech, Kick back in…Not LP reviewed
- All things to do
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Palais de Poulet
Looking down from the Hôtel Rif towards Ave Hassan II, this is one of several good and cheap rotisserie places where you can fill up quickly on chicken, chips, bread and salad. Although you order from the table, pay at the counter inside.
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Café Clock
In a restored townhouse, this funky place has a refreshing menu with offerings such as falafel, grilled sandwiches, some interesting vegetarian options, a monstrously large camel burger, and delicious cakes and tarts. Better still, their ‘Clock Culture’ program includes calligraphy and conversation classes, a lecture program and sunset concerts every Sunday (cover charge around Dh20), attracting a good mix of locals, expats and tourists.
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a El-Fna Food Stalls
Around sunset, donkeys descend on the Djemaa hauling gas canisters by the cartload and all the makings of 100 small restaurants. Within the hour, the restaurants are up and running, with chefs urging passers-by to note the cleanliness of their grills, the freshness of their meat, produce and cooking oil, and their aromatic spice mixes.
The grilled meats and cooked salads are cheap and often tasty, and despite alarmist warnings your stomach should be fine if you use your bread instead of rinsed utensils and stick to bottled water. Adventurous foodies will want to try Marrakesh specialities such as steaming snail soup, sheep's brain, and skewered hearts - always go for the…
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Chellah
Abandoned, crumbling and overgrown, the Merenid necropolis of Chellah is one of Rabat’s most evocative sights.
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Djemaa El-Fna
Grab a front-row or balcony seat at a café alongside the Djemaa, and watch the drama unfold. As the sun travels across the sky, orange-juice vendors make way for healers and henna tattoo artists, who scoot over for snake charmers, astrologers and acrobats. Around dusk, the storytellers begin their epic tales, and cooks cart in the makings of 100 restaurants specializing in barbecued everything, tasty cooked salads and steaming snails.
For the ultimate dinner theatre, look no further than the Gnaoua drummers, male belly dancers and Berber musicians surrounding the Djemaa dining action.
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outdoor
One of Essaouira's best food experiences is the outdoor fish grills that line the port end of Pl Moulay Hassan. Just choose what you want to eat from the colourful displays of fresh fish and seafood outside each grill, agree on a price (expect to pay about Dh40 for lunch) and wait for it to be cooked on the spot.
reviewed
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Best Of Morocco
15 days (Casablanca)
by Intrepid
Soak up panoramic views of the High Atlas Mountains, Explore the fortified city of Ait Benhaddou, Indulge your senses in the souqs of Marrakech, Kick back in…Not LP reviewed
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Hassan II Mosque
The brainchild and crowning achievement of King Hassan II, this phenomenal building is the world's third-largest mosque. It was built to commemorate the former king's 60th birthday and opened in 1993 giving Casablanca the heart and landmark it so sorely missed.
The mosque rises above the ocean on a rocky outcrop reclaimed from the sea; taking literally the verse from the Quran that states that God's throne was built upon the water. It's a vast building that can hold 25,000 worshippers and accommodate a further 80,000 in the courtyards and squares around it. The mosque was designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau and is topped by a soaring 210m-tall minaret, which…
reviewed
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Trekking
The Rif Mountains, bordering the Moroccan coast for about 200km, rarely reach more than 1800m, but these are the highest peaks in northern Morocco. The hillsides are green and magnificent. Cedars dominate the hillsides close to Chefchaouen, while forests of pine and holm oak grow on the higher slopes. Trekking opportunities here are good enough to draw even the most sloth-like backpacker away from the cafés and roof terraces of Chefchaouen, if only for a few hours.
Looming over Chefchaouen at 1616m, Jebel el-Kelaâ might initially appear a daunting peak but, with an early start and a packed lunch, it can easily be climbed in a day if you're in reasonably good shape.
The…
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Art Deco Buildings
If you can see past the traffic, fumes and general chaos of central Casablanca you'll discover the city's rich architectural heritage, a blend of French-colonial design and traditional Moroccan style known as Mauresque architecture. Developed in the 1930s and heavily influenced by the Art Deco movement, it embraced decorative details such as intricate carved friezes, beautiful tile work and ornate wrought-iron balconies.
Although some of the era's gems have been beautifully restored, others lie in shameful disrepair. Pl Mohammed V is the grand centrepiece of the French regeneration scheme. Impressive facades and colonial buildings line Rue Indriss Lahrizi, Rue Tahar Sebti…
reviewed
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Hassan II Mosque
The crowning achievement of King Hassan II, this phenomenal building is the world's third-largest mosque. It was built to commemorate the former king's 60th birthday and rises above the ocean on a rocky outcrop reclaimed from the sea. It's a vast building that can hold 25,000 worshippers and accommodate a further 80,000 in its courtyards.
Designed by French architect Michel Pinseau, the mosque is topped by a soaring 210m (689ft)minaret, which shines a laser beam towards Mecca by night. In addition to this high-tech call to prayer, the mosque also has a centrally heated floor, electric doors, a retractable roof and a section of glass flooring allowing the faithful to see…
reviewed
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Place Mohammed V
Place Mohammed V is the grand centrepiece of the French regeneration scheme. The vast square is surrounded by an impressive array of august administrative buildings, mostly designed by Henri Prost and Robert Marrast. The ancienne préfecture (old police headquarters), dating from 1930, dominates the south side of the square and is topped by a modernist clock tower.
The nearby Palais de Justice (law courts) was built in 1925. The huge main door and entrance was inspired by the Persian iwan, a vaulted hall that usually opens into the central court of the medersa (theological college) of a mosque. Stroll across the grand square and admire the 1918 main post office, a…
reviewed
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Kasbah des Oudaias
This occupies the oldest part of the city, the site of the original ribat, and commands powerful views over the river and ocean from its cliff-top perch. The kasbah is predominately residential and the narrow streets are lined with whitewashed houses - most of which were built by Muslim refugees from Spain. It's a tranquil and picturesque place to wander and there's no need for a guide. Ignore anyone who advises you that the kasbah is 'forbidden'.
The most dramatic entry to the kasbah is through the enormous Almohad gate of Bab Oudaia, built in 1195. Its location, facing the heart of the city and just outside the original palace, made it more ceremonial than defensive and…
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Quartier Habous
The Quartier Habous, or nouvelle medina, is Morocco-lite - an idealised, almost toy-town, version of a traditional medina with neat little rows of streets and shop stalls. The district was built by the French in the 1930s as an attempted solution to the ongoing housing shortage. It marries the best of traditional Moroccan architecture with modern facilities and French ideals - even the mosque fronts onto a strip of grassy lawn just like a village church.
For fans of the bustle and chaos of traditional markets, it may feel too sanitised to be authentic, but if you fancy some Moroccan character without the associated smells and hassle, it's got a decent selection of…
reviewed
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Jardin Majorelle & Museum of Islamic Art
Owned by the Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint-Laurent Foundation, this exotic sub-tropical garden provides a haven away from the hectic pace outside. The garden was designed by the French painter Jacques Majorelle, who lived here from 1922 to 1962. In among the cooling water features, the cacti, majestic palm trees and cascades of bougainvillaea, is a small museum.
The museum contains one of those Moroccan collections you'd love to scoop up and take home, including Berber and Tuareg jewellery and textiles, carpets, wedding curtains and cobalt blue pottery - all labelled in Arabic and French. Another room is dedicated to Majorelle's work.
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Le Tour Hassan
Le Tour Hassan. Towering above the Oued Bou Regreg is Rabat's most famous landmark. This enormous minaret was begun by the Almohad sultan Yacoub al-Mansour in 1195 and was intended to reach 60m, making it the largest and highest in the Muslim world. However, the sultan's grand plans were thwarted by his death four years later, and the tower was never completed. Abandoned at 44m, the beautifully designed and intricately carved tower still lords over the remains of the adjacent mosque.
The mosque was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, and today only a forest of shattered pillars testifies to the grandiosity of Al-Mansour's plans.
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Place el-Hedim
The heart of Meknès medina is Place el-Hedim , the large square facing Bab el-Mansour. Built by Moulay Ismail and originally used for royal announcements and public executions, it's a good place to sit and watch the world go by - kids playing football, hawkers selling miracle cures, and promenading families. The western side of the square is edged by an excellent covered produce market and catches the spill-over from the souqs to the north.
To the south, the impressive monumental gateway of Bab el-Mansour leads into Moulay Ismail's imperial city. The narrow streets of the old mellah are in the west of the medina.
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Rick’s Cafe
‘Here’s looking at you kid!’ Cashing in on the Hollywood hit Casablanca, this beautiful bar, lounge and restaurant is run by a former American diplomat, with furniture and fittings inspired by the film, and serving a taste of home for the nostalgic masses. Lamb chops, chilli, hamburgers and American breakfasts as well as a few excellent French and Moroccan specialities are all on the menu. There’s also an in-house pianist, a Sunday jazz session, wi-fi access and, inevitably, souvenir T-shirts. It’s a stunning setting and a good place for late-night drinks. You can watch the film again and again on the 1st floor.
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Spice Souq
For herbal Viagra, Berber lipstick, cures for baldness and exotic spices, the spice souq is the place to go. The jovial traders will try and draw you in with their more eccentric wares but the best buys are the aromatic spice blends for tajine, fish and chicken. You can also buy argan oil products here as well as the traditional amlou (about Dh40 per bottle). Nearby is the fish souq, an interesting place to wander even if you're not buying, and across Ave de l'Istiqlal, is the jewellery souq, a small area of jewellery shops with everything from heavy Berber beads to gaudy gold.
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Skala de la Ville
The dramatic, wave-lashed ramparts that surround the medina are a great place to get an overview of the labyrinth of streets. The ramparts were famously used in the opening scene of Orson Welles' Othello for a panoramic shot where Iago is suspended in a cage above the rocks and sea. The easiest place to access the ramparts is at Skala de la Ville, the impressive sea bastion built along the cliffs. A collection of European brass cannons from the 18th and 19th centuries line the walkway here and you'll also get great views out to sea and wonderful sunsets.
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Chaouen Rural
Chaouen Rural is a local company sponsored by the government of Catalonia that is developing the rural tourism potential of the region. This well-run operation specialises in package trips into Talassemtane National Park that include staying in rural houses and interacting with the local culture. Prices are a very reasonable Dh150 to Dh180 per person per day, including transport, guide and half-board. The website is French/Spanish, but some English is spoken, and brochures are available in English.
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Mohammed Ben El-Hair
Mt Everest is overrated; the most thrilling mountain to scale is the one of colourful Berber carpets in this tiny shop. Charming elderly proprietor Abu Mohammed ushers you in with a smile and mint tea, then waves towards the mountain with a single word of English: 'Democracy!' This is your invitation to clamber up, and start pulling down whatever carpets appeal to you. The prices are more than democratic; they're downright proletarian.
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Café Maure
Nestled in the ochre walls of the sqala, an 18th-century fortified bastion, this lovely restaurant is a tranquil escape from the city. Choose to sit in the rustic interior or the lovely garden surrounded by flower-draped trellises and enjoy the wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and friendly service. The menu favours seafood and salads, although meat dishes are also available, and the exotic fruit juices are simply sublime.
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Tangia
Can a standard chicken tagine with olives and preserved lemons really be worth almost three times what you'd pay in the Djemaa? Tangia will quell any such doubt with aromatic herbed olives, caramelised sauce with a lemony tang but no bitterness, and plump chicken very different from the anorexic variety served elsewhere - and at the next table over, the editors of American and French Vogue also seemed to approve.
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Morocco Explorer
14 days (Casablanca)
A cultural journey through the heart of Morocco.
Not LP reviewed
from USD$2,790