With thousands of miles of coastline, Morocco, a country known for dunes and The Sahara, offers up some pretty lovely coastal landscapes great for a day at the shore. Here are Morocco's 10 best beaches.

Editor's note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and always follow government advice.

Plage Sauvage

Two-and-a-half miles south of Mirleft is this truly wild beach, accessible down a set of steps, featuring caves, cliffs and crashing waves great for surfing. There's an outpost of Spot-M here for board and wetsuit rental and Biscou Surf School also brings students here. But the beach is gorgeous and ocean relatively mild, whether or not you're riding a board.

Palm Beach

A relaxed private beach in Souss Valley with showers, toilets and a kids' play area. Seclusion from the main beach means a more serene visit for those seeking a little more privacy.

Essaouira Beach

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, stick to the town stretch, as Plage Safi to the north has dangerous currents. Beach soccer is a popular weekend activity and camel owners ply the sands to the south.

If you want to take a walk, head south across the Ksob River (impassable at high tide) to see the ruins of the Borj El Berod, an old fortress and pavilion that’s partially covered in sand. From here you can walk inland to the village of Diabat or continue along the sands to the dunes of Cap Sim.

Marabou Beach

Bisected by a massive, imposing boulder, this beach is petite compared to its neighbors, but the waves are no less intense at this Southern Atlantic Coast locale. Avoid swimming at high tide, but sunning and strolling can be just as nice.

Sidi Ifni Beach

The beach is big and rarely busy. While frequently rough waves make swimming inadvisable, its position beneath dramatic cliffs – as well as its significant length – invites sunset strolls. The odd construction just offshore is the remains of an old land-sea conveyor, which was used to take cargo from ships to the old Spanish port.

Playa de la Ribera

Ceuta's urban beach is jam-packed during summer with nearly nude Spaniards and fully clothed Moroccan women. The beach is lined with cafes and bars perfect for whiling away an afternoon with a cerveza.

Plage Sfiha

A short retreat from the city, wide horseshoe-shaped Plage Sfiha looks out on the Spanish-controlled post-colonial relic, El Peñon de Alhucemas. A couple of other Spanish islands are also visible to the west. The beach is well maintained and lined with umbrella seating and restaurants during the summer. Pedalos and jet skis are available for hire.

Tangier Beach

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 elevators that lead down to the sand. Certainly worth an afternoon, if not a whole day, at the beach.

Sidi Mghayet Beach

Around nine miles from Asilah – including 2.5mi down a dirt road – Sidi Mghayet is one of Asilah’s more remote beaches and one of the quietest. During July and August, its golden crescent is lined with chiringuitos (simple food stalls); the rest of the time it’s often blissfully deserted. You’ll need a taxi to get here.

Playa de la Ensanada de los Galápagos

Nestled below cliffs and the towering fortress walls is the secluded beach of Playa de la Ensanada de los Galápagos, open from June to September (with lifeguards on duty), though children can be seen diving into the turquoise water year-round. Find your spot on the picturesque seashell-laden beach by entering through the tunnel across from La Pérgola.

You might also like:

Morocco's 10 best natural wonders
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Morocco's 10 best beaches

Morocco is home to one of the world’s greatest and most diverse cuisines. Making the most of seasonal ingredients, dishes are a mix of cultural influences forged over the centuries, including Berber, Jewish, Arab and French. Here are Morocco's top food experiences.

Editor's note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and always follow government advice.

Tagine

Tagines, named after the conical clay cooking pot they’re cooked in, are on every Moroccan menu, from roadside cafes to palatial dining rooms. It’s a stew of tender meat and vegetables in a blend of spices, sometimes with the addition of olives and preserved fruit, and is always served with bread. Try the kefta variety, where lamb or beef mince is rolled into balls, cooked in a tomato and onion sauce, and topped with an egg.

Tanjia

Tanjia is another dish that owes its name to the clay pot in which it’s cooked. Large chunks of beef or lamb and a selection of spices are stuffed into the pot, which is topped with a paper lid and tied with string. It’s then taken to the local hammam (bathhouse) where it’s propped in the embers of the furnace that heats the water to slow cook for hours.

Couscous

Dating back to the 13th century and probably Berber in origin, couscous is Morocco's quintessential dish. It’s traditionally a time-consuming process, where semolina grain is laboriously hand rolled before being steamed. When the grains are plump and fluffy, it’s served piled high with meat and vegetables, nuts and dried fruit. It’s usually prepared on Fridays, the Muslim holy day, and for weddings, funerals and at the end of Ramadan.

Salads

Moroccan meals often begin with a vegetarian-friendly spread of colourful small salads, raw and cooked, hot and cold, and perfect for sharing. Dishes include salade marocaine, finely chopped tomatoes, onions and cucumber; a smoked aubergine dip called zaalouk, seasoned with garlic, paprika and cumin; finely grated carrots with freshly squeezed orange juice; courgette purée; taktouka, a cooked tomato and roasted pepper salad, and plump, local olives.

Pastilla

This Fassi (from Fez) speciality is a mix of sweet and salty flavours thought to have been brought to Morocco from Andalucia by the Moors. This elaborate pie is traditionally made with pigeon cooked in spices, topped with a layer of toasted and ground almonds and cinnamon, all wrapped in warka pastry, similar to phyllo. It’s more likely to be made with shredded chicken today but try the original version if you get the chance.

Harira

This traditional Berber soup is rich and flavoursome and while it’s often served as a starter, it’s filling enough to be a meal in itself. The recipe varies from region to region but the basic stock includes flour, chickpeas, tomatoes, lentils, spices and a small amount of lamb or chicken, finished off with a squeeze of lemon juice and turmeric. During Ramadan it’s served at dusk to break the fast, often with the sweet and sticky pretzel-like chebakkiya.

Bread

In Morocco, every neighbourhood has five things; a mosque, a school, a hammam, a fountain, and a communal wood-fired oven, or farine. Families take their own dough to be baked or buy direct from the baker, who regularly make around 2,000 of the khobz – Morocco’s staple round, crusty loaf – each day. Other traditional breads include harcha, made from pan-fried semolina; rghaif, a flaky, layered flat bread, and baghira, spongy and full of holes like a crumpet.

Sweets

Fresh fruit usually ends most meals but Moroccans are passionate about sweet things and the souks are filled with calorie-laden treats. There are rich pastries like briouats, deep-fried filo pastry triangles stuffed with almond paste, and gazelle horns, crescent-shaped pastries with almond paste scented with orange flower water and cinnamon; and shebakia, flower-shaped, fried sesame biscuits and crunchy biscotti-like fekkas. If you’re in Moulay Idriss, don’t miss the famous nougat.

Tea

Mint tea is the national drink, often jokingly referred to as Berber whiskey. A sign of hospitality, preparing it is an art form: green tea is flavoured with sprigs of fresh mint and normally served with lots of sugar. In winter, when mint is scarce, bitter wormwood – also known as absinthe or sheba – is used. It’s usually poured from metal teapots into glasses from a great height, and the resulting bubbles are meant to make it more appealing.

Spices

You’ll find colourful pyramids of aromatic spices in every souq, including saffron that was once worth more than gold. Moroccan speciality Ras El Hanout is a complex blend of up to 30 ingredients prepared by grinding together whole spices, dried leaves and roots, including cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric. Usually reserved for special dishes, the literal translation from Arabic is “top of the shop”, or the best the shop has to offer.

Street eats

Don't miss a chance to grab these on-the-go snacks, which are sold in markets and from food stalls across the country.

Camel spleen

Gamey tasting camel spleen is stuffed with ground camel meat, and sometimes beef or lamb, olives, spices and a dash of hump fat. The sausage-like form is baked in a communal bread oven before being sliced, cooked on a griddle and served up in a khobz sandwich.

Sheep’s head

Medina stalls serve steamed sheep’s head, dished up with cumin, salt and chilli. Almost all the meat is edible but the cheeks and toungue are particularly tender. Nothing goes to waste and other stalls will have pots filled with sheep’s brain bubbling away in a rich tomato sauce.

Snail soup

Snails can be found all over Morocco, usually in a spicy soup served from a cart in the medina. They don’t use the large French variety but small snails known as babouche. Eat them with a toothpick or just buy a bowl of the tasty broth that the snails are cooked in.

Bisara

Also called talakhcha, this is a thick soup, especially popular at breakfast time. Made from dried and peeled fava beans or broad beans, it’s served topped with a generous drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of red-hot chilis or cumin and a freshly baked khobz.

Sardines

Morocco is the largest tinned sardine exporter in the world but fresh ones make a tasty medina snack. They’re best stuffed with tangy chermoula paste, a mix of spices, including cumin and paprika, fresh coriander and lemon juice, dusted with flour and deep fried.

Etiquette

They say the best traditional Moroccan food is served at home, so eat with a family if you can, or at least in a family-run restaurant at some point during your travels. Remember, if you do eat with a family, it will probably be with your hands and bread, rather than a knife and fork. Eat only with your right hand and when you’re sharing a communal plate like a tagine, it’s polite to take only what’s in front of you.

You might also like:

Morocco's 10 best natural wonders
Essential Moroccan experiences you won't want to miss
Why you should embrace Berber culture on your Moroccan adventure

This article was originally published in October 2014 and updated in September 2020.

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Morocco's best food experiences 

From golden sand dunes to the lofty peaks of the High Atlas mountains, Morocco is an adventurer's dream. Epic landscapes carpet this slice of North Africa like the richly patterned rugs you’ll lust after in the souqs.

On lower ground, windswept coastlines, waterfalls and caves are tucked into forested hills and verdant palm oases. Here are Morocco’s top 10 natural wonders.

Editor's note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and always follow government advice.

Erg Chebbi

Shape-shifting over 17 miles from north to south and reaching heights of 525 feet, the great sand sea of Erg Chebbi is extraordinarily scenic. The rose-gold dunes rise dramatically above a pancake-flat, grey hamada (hard-packed rocky desert) and turn stunning shades of orange, pink and purple as the sun sets.

Plage Sauvage

Two-and-a-half miles south of Mirleft is this truly wild beach, accessible down a set of steps, featuring caves, cliffs and crashing waves great for surfing. There's an outpost of Spot-M here for board and wetsuit rental, and Biscou Surf School also brings students here. But the beach is gorgeous and the ocean relatively mild, whether or not you're riding a board.

High Atlas Mountains

Welcome to North Africa’s highest mountain range, known by Imazighen (Berbers) as “Idraren Draren” (Mountains of Mountains), and a trekker’s paradise from spring to autumn. The range runs diagonally across Morocco for almost 625 miles, encircling Marrakesh to the south and east from the Atlantic Coast just north of Agadir to Khenifra in the northeast. Its saw-toothed peaks act as a weather barrier between the mild, Mediterranean climate to the north and the Sahara to the south.

For rafters and kayakers, the valley is a green jewel where rafts whip between 8.3ft-wide limestone walls; for climbers and trekkers, the extreme topography and huge routes offer ridiculous views and a thrilling sense of wilderness.

The best hikes in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains

Jebel Toubkal

For pure mountain air that cuts through the heat and leaves you dizzy, don’t miss the highest mountain in North Africa: snowcapped Jebel Toubkal (13671 ft), situated in the heart of the Toubkal National Park. Mountain trails criss-crossing the range start from Imlil, which is located at the source of the Mizane River.

How to climb Toubkal, Morocco's highest peak

Erg Chigaga

There's not a single sand dune (erg) found at the misnamed Erg Chigaga, instead, there is an incredible stretch of golden sand sea some 35 miles southwest of M'Hamid. It is the largest sand sea in Morocco, snaking along the horizon for 25 miles and bordered to the north and south by mountain ridges. The best way to get here is in classic movie style: by camel (from Dh500 to Dh600 per day), which takes between five and seven days round-trip.

Gouffre de Friouato

More than 66ft wide and 755ft deep, the Gouffre de Friouato is said to be the deepest cavern in North Africa, and the cave system is possibly the most extensive. It was first investigated in 1935, and access leads down 520 precipitous steps (with handrails) to the floor of the cavern.

Once you reach the bottom of the stairs, you can squeeze through a hole to start exploring the fascinating chambers that are found 200 more steps below. It’s dark and eerily beautiful.

The most spectacular chambers, full of extraordinary formations, are the Salle de Lixus and the Salle de Draperies. They do indeed resemble thin sheets of curtains, frozen and calcified. Speleologists have explored to a depth of 984ft, and they believe there are more rooms another 1640ft below.

Cascades d’Ouzoud

The many-tiered Cascades d’Ouzoud are stunningly beautiful, with several distinct falls, the largest a massive 328ft drop. The area is also one of the most popular day trips from Marrakesh, so be prepared to not have this natural idyll to yourself.

On summer weekends the cafe-lined paths that lead down to the falls are filled with local families and tourists browsing souvenir stalls and taking pictures. To reach the falls, walk past the signs for Riad Cascades d’Ouzoud towards the precipice, where converging paths wind down towards the largest falls and beyond.

Oualidia

Oualidia (wa-lid-ee-ah) is a gorgeous crescent-shaped lagoon fringed with golden sands and protected from the wild surf by a rocky breakwater.

With great fish and seafood – the town is renowned for its oysters – and a range of accommodation options, it's a popular weekend and summer retreat for Marrakshis and Casablancais, and the perfect destination for those in need of a break from the city hubbub.

Outside July and August, it's quiet, with little more to do than relax, surf and gorge on shellfish. In spring and autumn, birdwatchers arrive to observe migrating pink flamingos, terns, egrets and more on the lagoon and surrounding coastal wetlands.

Iriqui National Park

Morocco’s largest national park – covering a landmass of 303,940 acres – and uniquely Saharan, Iriqui was created in 1994 to protect the biodiversity of this wild region of arid savanna, dunes and salt flats and, in particular, the ephemeral wetlands of Lake Iriqui which attracts migratory birds during the winter rainy season. It's around 55 miles of off-road driving from Foum Zguid, but can be visited as part of a tour to or from Erg Chigaga.

Rif Mountains

The Rif (reef) is the greenest and most northerly of Morocco's mountain chains. It's an excellent place to explore, especially on foot. There are plenty of good hikes, particularly in Talassemtane National Park.

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Why you should embrace Berber culture on your Moroccan adventure
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Morocco's 10 best natural wonders

Cohan Zarnoch remembers seeing the lip plates worn by the women of the Ethiopia ’s Mursi tribe in a photograph in National Geographic. She was seven years old, growing up in Ohio where her only exposure to the wider world was the magazine and World Book Encyclopedias.

“I said, one day I'm going to see that,” she recalls. “When we arrived, I stood there and cried. Who would have thought when I was seven that I would have actually seen this?” Zarnoch, now 54, has spent the last 12 years traveling with non-profit organizations, photographing remote African tribes along the way.

Based in Colorado, Zarnoch is also a surgical nurse currently working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. She spent three weeks in April stationed in New York City, and is now in East Texas, where she’s nearing the end of a continuous 30-day stretch of 12 hour days, caring for COVID patients.

Before being deployed to pandemic hot spots in the US, Zarnoch traveled with organizations such as Operation Walk, facilitating joint replacement to those in need, and Primo Filters International, a non-profit she runs with her family, bringing clean water to developing countries – usually with her camera.

The mother of four loved photography growing up, and spent decades capturing her own children, but never entertained the idea of pursuing the hobby professionally. “I thought I could only be one thing, and maybe in my next lifetime I would be a photographer, because in this lifetime, I'm a nurse,” she remembers. But after a breast cancer diagnosis, she changed her mind. “I decided life was too short.” She also remembered the dream she had as a seven-year-old growing up in Ohio. “Once I was diagnosed, I said 'Oh my god, I haven't been to Africa yet'.”

So Zarnoch reached out to a non-profit, and 30 minutes later she heard back – they needed a photographer to cover their mission to Tanzania. Over a decade later, the photographer has worked with half a dozen organizations, either taking photos to help with their fundraising efforts, or running surgical missions, taking her to Africa, Peru, Panama, Cuba, and Central America.

Though she’s traveled all over the world now, her experiences in Africa stand out to Zarnoch. “You're just present in the moment – the people I meet accept you for who you are, and if you accept them in the moment for who they are, there's this great connection that you can't find anywhere,” she says. “We're so judged here. We have such cultural conformities, and I go there and they just allow me to be me. I don't find that a lot in the US.”

She’s photographed tribes in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Namibia, among others, and her warm and vibrant portraits of members of the tribe, mostly women and children, reflect that connection between the photographer and her subjects. “I just smile and I wave – I want to talk to them, but I know I can’t because most of the time I don't have a translator,” she explains. “I play with the kids, and that helps me connect with the mothers.” The communication hurdle is one of the biggest challenges she faces in her work. “I want nothing more than to sit in the dirt and play with the kids and know their name and talk to the mom and see what life is like for them. What do they like? Where do they go?” Instead of speaking the same language, then, Zarnoch uses her camera to further that connection, teaching the kids to take their own photos, and showing all her subjects the photos she takes. “They've never seen themselves, they don't have mirrors. So I readily show pictures.”

Zarnoch says succeeding as a nurse and a photographer come down to the same thing: “I love people. I love helping people. I love connecting.” Both professions call for a high degree of empathy for others, and Zarnoch has it. “I didn't have a voice growing up,” she says. “I was kind of in that era where you were seen and not heard. So I feel like I'm giving voice to those who finally want to be seen or heard.”

The self-described overachiever says she’s not one to ever let the dust settle. “If I'm not running a mission trip, I'm shooting a mission trip. If I'm not shooting a mission trip, I work a few hours in the hospital, and if I'm not doing that I’m editing.” Zarnoch says her dream is to shoot for National Geographic magazine someday. With her track record, it seems likely. And as soon as the pandemic lets up, the photographer will resume traveling again – next up, Chad and South Sudan.

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Traveling to Africa with my young daughters: a father's story

Get more travel inspiration, tips and exclusive offers sent straight to your inbox with our weekly newsletter.

See the incredible photos of remote African tribes captured by a COVID frontline nurse

While we all sit patiently waiting for the day to pack our bags once again, many of us are turning to the cozy comforts of home. Nothing warms the soul like a good cup of tea, and many of our favorites have distinct roots in specific locations around the world. Take a global tour via tea with these herbal indulgences.

Oolong tea, China

When it comes to tea, China ’s where it all began. Oolong is made from the same leaves as black and green tea, but is only partially oxidized after picking (black tea is fully oxidized), giving it a unique, bluish hue. The tea’s flavor can vary based on the region where the leaf was grown and the technique used to oxidize the leaves, varying from floral and light to nutty and roasted. The most sought after varieties come from the Wuyi mountains in the country’s Fujian Province.

Classically, oolong teas are served during the Gongfu tea ceremony, a practice that is believed to have emerged during the Song dynasty and was popularized in the subsequent centuries. The ceremony demonstrates respect to both the hosts guests and to nature, which provided the tea in the first place. Guests are invited to enjoy the aromatic qualities of the tea before tasting, and hosts can prepare several infusions for everyone to enjoy.

Sweet mint tea, Morocco

If you’re missing the historic medinas of Morocco, brew yourself and your quarantined loved ones a batch of sweet mint tea, also known as Atai Bi Nana, and dream of wandering the country’s winding streets. Traditional sweet mint tea is brewed using Chinese “gunpowder” green tea (originally from the Zhejiang Province in China), copious amounts of sugar and fresh mint leaves.

The exact origin of this tea tradition is debated, some citing its appearance in the 19th century, arriving from England, while others say it arrived as early as the 17th century from the Middle East. Whatever the truth is, it’s today become an essential part of life in Morocco. The tea itself is a symbol of hospitality and welcoming, and preparation and presentation are just as important as the finished product. Hosts often pour the tea from a silver teapot into small glasses from a significant height, creating a delightful foam that indicates that the tea has been perfectly brewed. The tea is routinely served three times in a sitting, each cup with its own unique flavor.

Masala Chai, India

Spicy, creamy and sometimes sweet, India ’s masala chai (spiced tea) has taken the world by storm. The comforting concoction incorporates milk, sugar, black tea and a variety of different spices depending on region and taste; most common are cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, ginger, cloves, black pepper and star anise. Chai wallahs (tea vendors) across India make perfect cups of chai to order, each with their own flair.

Many legends surround the origin of masala chai. One places its birth in an ancient Indian court, where a king dreamt of creating a healing beverage for his people, while another places it in the hands of a Buddhist Monk who learned from Chinese farmers. The real history has to do with British colonialism and the cultivation of the tea trade in India; the tradition of masala chai didn’t take root until the 1900s, when Britain actively created a marketing campaign to stimulate the tea economy that it owned. Indian citizens took the tea and created their own variation, adding the spices that give it its warmth and depth, and the rest is history.

Matcha tea, Japan

Delightfully green and multifunctional, matcha tea is made from green tea leaves ground into a fine powder and whisked in water to form a frothy tea. Like chai, matcha has recently been part of a global craze, showing up in a variety of new matcha-flavored drinks and desserts. Traditionally, however, the matcha tea ceremony is a Japanese cultural touchstone used for both formal and informal tea gatherings, an expression of hospitality and generosity towards guests.

Powdered tea saw its origins in 7th-century China, when tea was dried and stored as bricks, and later ground to be used in beverages. Matcha made its way to Japan in the 12th century, and was largely used by the most important religious and government figures. The practice trickled down into society over the years, and today it’s a tea to be enjoyed by all.

Read more: Everything you need to know about green tea culture in Uji, Japan

Yerba mate, Paraguay/Argentina/Uruguay/Brazil

If you’ve traveled to South America ’s southern half, chances are you’re familiar with yerba mate, the ubiquitous infusion drunk from a gourd with a metal straw called a bombilla. The flavor resembles that of green tea, and it’s generally served using hot (but not boiling) water; it’s meant to be sipped slowly and shared among friends and family, the gourd passed from person to person.

Yerba mate was originally consumed by the Guaraní people, who lived in the area that would become Paraguay post-colonization. Recognized for its medicinal properties, the drink was soon adopted and industrialized by the colonizers (despite an ill-fated ban put in motion by the Spanish governor of Buenos Aires that nobody obeyed -- the love of mate was just too strong), and today it remains a symbol of the southern cone. Many traditionalists maintain that yerba mate needs no modification, but many variations with added sugar, citrus and other flavors are becoming popular.

Black tea, United Kingdom

One can’t think of the United Kingdom without envisioning the perfect cup of black tea, swirled with milk and sugar. If you’ve poured a morning cup, pair it with a biscuit or a scone. You can also enjoy English tea with larger spreads -- a fancy afternoon tea at a hotel or tea shop might feature finger sandwiches and pastries, while high tea (often just called “tea”) can sometimes conflate with dinner, inviting more savory fare like meats, pickles and tarts.

The United Kingdom’s tea legacy stretches back into the 17th century, when it was brought to the isle by the British East India Trading company. Britain’s far-reaching colonial power effectively spread tea culture throughout the world and, today, tea remains a huge part of daily life.

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Want to sample lamb, cooked in one of Morocco's most iconic spice mixes? Here's how to prepare ras el hanout.

What is it?

Slow-cooked, buttery lamb literally melts off the bone, thanks to hours of tenderizing in a tagine steaming with aromatic ras el hanout, Morocco’s trademark mix of numerous spices.

Origins

The Arabic term “ras el hanout” translates as “head of the shop”, an assurance that it’s the best your attar (spice master) in the souk has to offer. While the ingredients and quantities vary (often carefully guarded secrets), the complex blend can feature up to 50 different spices. There are also rumors that it dates back to biblical times, “ras”, being the title for an Ethiopian king. Intriguingly, there are tales of attars customizing it with hashish for special clients!

Ingredients (serves 4)

Lamb Tagine
3 tbs olive oil
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbs finely chopped fresh ginger
1kg (2lb) boneless lamb shoulder, cut in chunks
2 tsp ras el hanout (see below for recipe)
2 cinnamon sticks
11/5 cups (300mL) water 800g (1lb 10oz) diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste 175g (6oz) dried apricots Seeds from 1 pomegranate, to serve

Ras El Hanout
1⁄2 tsp roasted cardamom seeds
1⁄2 tsp roasted fennel seeds
1 tbs roasted coriander seeds
1 tbs roasted cumin seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cayenne
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp sugar
1⁄2 tsp allspice
2 whole cloves
1⁄4 tsp ground nutmeg

How to cook

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep casserole dish (or tagine!). Add the onions and saute until soft. Stir in the ginger, add the lamb in portions and fry until lightly colored. Return all the meat to the pan.
2. Blend/crush the ras el hanout ingredients in a mortar and pestle of spice grinder, then add 2 tsp to the lamb. Store the remainder in an airtight jar.
3. Stir in cinnamon sticks and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste, then cover and simmer for about 11⁄2 hours, until the meat is tender.
4. Stir in the apricots and heat for 5 minutes.
5. Serve sprinkled with coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds.

Tasting notes

Imagine wandering the labyrinths of Marrakesh with every sense on red alert: the cacophony of buzzy bartering, blaring Arabic music, vibrant kaftan colors, dodging donkeys and snake charmers. The heady aroma of molten lamb penetrates the incense-laden undertow and you veer in the direction of a quiet rooftop for your first taste of authentic tagine. As the terracotta lid is lifted by your host, revel in the steamy, aromatic anticipation. The first nugget of lamb falls apart on your tongue, unctuous with ras el hanout’s layers of sweet, spicy, warmth, depth. Take a sip of mint tea or perhaps fresh pomegranate juice, tear off some khobz (bread) and dive in again. And again.

Other recipes in this series

Vietnamese pho
Hungarian goulash
New Mexican breakfast burritos

Have you recreated any of the dishes featured in this series so far? Share your pictures with us on Twitter and Instagram by tagging @lonelyplanet. For more great recipes, check out Lonely Planet’s book The World’s Best Spicy Food .

How to make Moroccan ras el hanout 

Marrakesh is like an excited child that takes you by the hand and wants you to come and play. Tugging at your sleeves, the city pulls you into souks and drags you down side streets to explore all of the irresistible colours, perfumes and flavours.

Marrakesh is filled with colour, and its fashion is no exception. The ochre alleyways are punctuated by silhouettes draped in vibrant textiles and flowing robes, or djellabas. The souks are an overflowing treasure trove for shoppers, the winding streets packed with clothes, accessories and exotic adornments.

Here in Morocco, designers are bridging the world of traditional clothing with expressive designs and contemporary fashion. The modest fashion market is booming, as options and styles are rapidly expanding. Conservative fashion is not just about being covered. There are many reasons people choose to adopt modest dress: choice, bodily autonomy, self-expression, or just personal taste. Regardless of religion, modest fashion is being embraced around the world, and it’s easy to see why. The flowing cuts are effortlessly chic yet comfortable, and the designs sport an exciting range of eye-catching prints and colours.

Algerian–French designer Norya owns a small boutique set beneath the leafy canopy of a trendy cafe. The shop may be little, but Norya’s designs have draped some of the world's biggest celebrities (Kate Moss, Erykah Badu and Sharon Stone, to name a few). Norya sits on the sun-drenched patio of her boutique, wearing one of her iconic silk kaftans in a splendid dandelion yellow.

“It was an accident,” Norya reveals, on her rise to prominence as a designer.

The creation of her brand, Norya ayronN, was a last-minute decision, and her first collection consisted of just a few pieces. It was a hit, and her line of kaftans and abayas (long dresses) became highly sought-after, both locally and abroad.

Read more: How to beat the queues and crowds at YSL's Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh

“The idea was to create a mix of my cultures. I am from North Africa, but I grew up in Europe, so I mix between the two. The North was colonised for years. It's already a mix, so it’s very interesting,” Norya explains.

“The colours are what inspire me the most about Africa. Women in Morocco love fabrics, they love colours. They don’t buy everything in shops, like in Europe. They are creative, and they create their own dresses. Every time I go to a shop to buy fabric, it is full of women buying fabric for themselves.”

This creative and vibrant approach to fashion is certainly visible in her brand's aesthetic. The pieces, many of them one-offs, feature vibrant hues, elegant silhouettes and bold patterns printed on luxurious silk fabrics. Adding a sleek bohemian twist to traditional North African garb, it’s easy to see why Norya’s designs have become highly coveted overseas.

Designers like Norya are expanding the market for traditional clothing, and breaking the stereotype that conservative fashion is limiting.

“I don’t see it as a conservative thing at all. I love long dresses; it’s a beautiful coincidence. Long dresses are so elegant. I think a long dress can be 100% more feminine and sexy than a short one.”

Norya’s designs have proven so popular, that she has started a line of menswear.

“Men wear dresses too! I sell dresses to men from everywhere.”

Regardless of culture or gender, it seems that the colourful fashion of North Africa has something for everybody.

Read more: Hidden Marrakesh: a guide to the city's best-kept secrets

Tap into traditional Moroccan fashion and fusion

Norya ayroN
You can visit Norya’s boutique, Norya ayroN, inside Le Jardin cafe in the Medina, or at her second boutique in Marrakesh's downtown area of Guilez (17 Rue Tarik Ben Ziad).

Joykech Bazar
This small boutique in the north area of the Medina is a paisley dream reminiscent of the psychedelic '60s. Joykech Bazar features a fantastic collection of upcycled vintage kaftans in a splendid array of colours and prints. The store also has a contemporary collection that fuses traditional cuts with funky fabrics and bold prints, creating the ultimate boho-chic aesthetic.

Kaftan Queen
Kaftan Queen has traditional Moroccan kaftans, capes and tunics with a sleek and modern twist. The breezy and comfortable designs offer a stylish respite from the Moroccan heat. Here, you’ll find effortlessly elegant cuts in sumptuous silks and flowing fabrics. The designs are manufactured locally, combining locally sourced fabric and traditional Moroccan dressmaking techniques.

Art Ouarzazate
Samad and Malek are the designers behind Art Ouarzazate, who look to their travels overseas for inspiration. The eclectic designs incorporate traditional Moroccan fashion, mixed with styles and textiles from all over the world. Samad names Mongolia, Italy and India as some of his influences. The boutique boasts a funky '70s vintage feel – snakeskin flares, sequin dresses and fur-lined velvet capes can be found on the racks.

Bijouterie Tissir
Bijouterie Tissir is a jewellery boutique that sells antique, vintage, and contemporary Berber pieces. The shop boasts a dazzling selection of hand-worked silver, featuring bold geometry and embellished with brightly coloured stones and shells. These eye-catching adornments are the perfect statement pieces to add an authentic North African touch to any outfit.

Exploring the souks

Traditional Moroccan clothing, such as djellabas, abayas, and kaftans can be found in the souks all over the medina. Shoppers will be spoiled for choice in the labyrinth of streets, which is overflowing with wares. Head to the dyers' souk to discover the source of the brightly coloured textiles. Reels of wool and silk hang overhead, a technicolor array of infusions from poppy, saffron to indigo. Here you can pick up a hand-dyed scarf or shawl coloured with exotic pigments.

Read more: A guide to haggling in Marrakesh

The leather production in Morocco is world-renowned. There are plenty of shops touting leather goods in the medina. You can find anything from a classic pair of sheepskin Moroccan slippers ( babouches) to goat-hide handbags and leather jackets in every colour. The tanneries offer a quick glimpse into the curing process and there is a cluster of leather suppliers in the vicinity. And if you decide to purchase something from the souks, be prepared to haggle!

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Fashionistas are flocking to Marrakesh's medina, and you can shop there, too

It was a sign that I saw everywhere in Morocco. Spray painted onto bus stops, scribbled on restaurant walls, and etched onto the sides of Arabic drums. And now it was here, nearly 4000m above sea level in the heart of the High Atlas Mountains.

Berbers of the mountains

A boulder by the trail is emblazoned in crimson. It depicts three feathered brushstrokes as if painted by the wind that is howling shamelessly around us now. Roughly, the symbol looks like a man reaching towards the sky.

Badr and Mohammad, our local hiking guides, are waiting patiently for the rest of our group to catch up.  “What does this symbol mean?” I ask.

“It means freedom,” Mohammad tells me, adjusting the colourful scarf around his forehead.  “It’s the sign of the Berber people; it’s on our flag,” Badr elaborates.

I am leaning against a rock, massaging my aching thighs. It is hardly daybreak, and we are already descending from the summit of the highest mountain in North Africa. Badr and Mohammad had led our group up the steep scree slopes of Toubkal in the middle of the night. We had reached the summit breathless, just in time to watch the birth of the new day over the horizon. It came in a bright vermilion blaze, which illuminated the craggy face of the Atlas and all of her jagged peaks.

Read more: How to climb Toubkal, Morocco's highest peak

The rest of the group have caught up, and are now gathered around the mysterious symbol.

“The Berber flag is split into three colours,” Mohammed explains, retrieving a bag of peanuts to offer us. “Blue, for the Berbers by the sea. Yellow, for the Berbers in the desert. And green, for the Berbers of the mountains.”

We begin to walk again. For us, the strain of the hike is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but not so for Badr and Mohammad; they trek to the summit at least twice a week. The terrain eases as we descend into the verdant cusp of the valley. Farmers herd their goats about the fields, with the animals grazing lazily under the sparse shade of juniper trees.

Badr is walking beside me, and I ask him once more of the symbol that means freedom.

“It’s not just Berbers who are free. Its Moroccans, Arabs – it’s all people.”

“But what is it that makes you free?”

“What makes you not free?’ Badr replies with a grin.

We hug the side of the trail as a train of mules, saddled in technicolor fabrics, passes us by. “To answer your question, you have to tell me your definition of freedom. Each person has their own.”

I cannot think of one, so I ask Badr for his. He thinks pensively for a moment.

“To work, but not too much.” He responds. “To have time for myself, for my friends and my family. That is all.”

The trail is now at an easy plateau. A village, with its apple orchards and sound of school children singing, would soon be upon us.

Badr’s question sticks on my mind like baklava. What makes you not free? And what does freedom mean? And I wonder what I can learn about freedom from the Berbers; the “free people” of Morocco.

Read more: The best hikes in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains

Berbers of the sea

It’s not until I am in the fishing town of Essaouira before I encounter the mysterious symbol again. I see it in a music shop, inked on the membrane of a snare-drum decorated with various Berber signs. Hajji, the shopkeeper, picks up the drum and begins tapping a rhythm.

“Play it like this,” he instructs me, passing the drum. “Like a horse trotting. Chk-a-chk-a chk-a-chk-a. Yes, that’s right”.

Hajji takes a guitar and begins to pluck the deep, hypnotic trance of Gnawa, a musical style that hails from the region. The notes resound from the bass; rich, warm and mesmerising, like the dancing flames of a campfire.

Hajji shrugs when I ask him of the curious signs decorating the drum. He tells me that they are ancient Berber symbols. He cannot tell me what they mean, says he knows somebody who can.

Read more: Where to find the best street food in Morocco

I weave my way through the medina. The streets are lined with markets selling glassy-eyed fish, slick from the ocean. Seagulls beat their wings overhead, throwing lofty shadows against buildings as white and dappled as sea foam. I find local artist Younes at his workshop, tucked away in a corner of the medina. He is calligraphing a goat-hide canvas, tracing the elegant hooks and curves of Arabic script. The walls are covered with cured animal skins, depicting artworks comprising some of the strange symbols I saw in the music shop. Younes teaches me that the signs are derived from the traditional face tattoos of the Berber women in his community.

“I was always curious about the symbols when I was younger. But today, fewer and fewer people understand what they mean,” explains the artist, with a melancholy smile.

Indeed, the threat to Berber culture is a real one. The written form of the Berber language, Tifinagh, has widely fallen out of usage. Although there have been some efforts to reintroduce the alphabet in schools, the future of the language remains uncertain. Additionally, Berber people are becoming increasingly pressured to abandon their nomadic lives and small-town living in favour of life in the modern world.

“People move to the city, they get cell phones and they forget their way of life,” Younes elaborates.

I begin to wonder, does this transition come at the cost of culture? And ultimately, the cost of freedom?

Younes smiles knowingly. “Freedom is not a place or time. It’s something behind that – it’s in our philosophy, it’s in our way of breathing,” he pauses, taking a sip of coffee. He gestures to a symbol on the canvas that looks like an anchor.

“This,” he explains enthusiastically, “represents the fusion of Arabic and Berber cultures. There is a freedom in unity, in togetherness. The jacket I’m wearing was made in Italy. Next year, I might wear one made in France. We may change our clothes, but it’s still us.”

“And what does freedom mean to you?” I ask.

Younes chuckles. “This is not an easy question, you know. The sign on our flag simply means ‘be free’. It is a general idea, a way of being. To me, being free means knowing that nobody can choose our place. Nobody can make us happy. Only us.”

Read more: Essential Moroccan experiences you won't want to miss

He points out another symbol – a rising sun and a key – on the canvas. “The happiness and prospects of tomorrow, and the keys to unlock them. Freedom is also doing something for someone without expecting anything in return.”

Next, he gestures to a symbol of a cat with a crescent-shaped head. “No doubt you have seen many cats around the medina. People feed them, they care for them. But do they expect something from the cat? No. The love is unconditional.”

Finally, he points to a symbol which looks like musical notes. “Three women dancing,” he explains. “This means ‘be in the moment’. You never know what could happen the next day, the next hour or even the next minute. There is no sense in worrying about things out of your control. To be free, you must be present in the now.” Younes drains the last of the coffee.

“And you? What does freedom mean to you?”

Again, I find myself unable to answer.

Read more: Why Tangier should be your first port of call in Morocco

Berbers of the desert

There is no more road after the oasis town of M’hamid, only the endless sea of the Sahara. At sunset, the sand is sumac under a sky flushed magenta. The desert stretches out to meet the skyline, enclosing the town in a hot, fiery womb. Light and shadow dance in the contours of the terrain like yin and yang.

I meet my Saharan guide Aziz at his home. It’s the last house before the oblivion of the desert begins. Aziz and his family are some of the last Saharan nomads. They wandered the desert for generations, herding livestock and moving with the seasons.

Aziz greets me warmly and pours a customary cup of Moroccan mint tea. We sit in the kitchen, sipping the sweet, warm drink and discussing life in the desert.

“Time doesn’t exist there. I don’t even know when I was born!” he laughs. “My mother thinks it was September. My sister thinks it was January.”

Aziz speaks with mixed emotions about life in the desert. One decade ago, he and his family were forced to abandon their nomadic life and relocate to the town of M’Hamid.

“It became very difficult to survive. The Algerian border became more tightly controlled. If some of our camels crossed the border in the night, we couldn’t get them back.” He refills our glasses, drawing the teapot up high and letting the tea cascade into our cups. “I don’t think borders should exist. Anywhere,” he says.

Looking out at the Sahara, it seemed indeed bizarre that an expanse so endless and unbroken could be cleaved by boundaries at all.

“The second reason we moved is that the river Draa began to dry up.”

Aziz tells me that the river had stopped flowing due to the building of a dam in Ouarzazate. As a result, life for desert nomads became increasingly difficult.

“Eventually, it just became too much.”

The next day, Aziz takes me to the place where the Draa is meant to be. Nothing remains but ripples in the sand. Few families maintain a pastoral life in the desert today. But with the unique set of skills needed to survive as a nomad in the desert, Aziz believes that his generation could sadly be the last.

“So what does it mean to be a nomad who is no longer nomadic?” I ask.

“My parents and grandparents feel like they are in prison. They miss the desert. Even now, if I show my mother a photograph from the Sahara, she knows exactly where it was taken,” he says with a grin.  “I take her back sometimes, to visit.”

“And despite giving up your way of life, are you still free?” I enquire.

“We try to stay independent. We don’t keep money in the banks, and most of us don’t vote. We don’t like to be controlled. I have an uncle that lives in France now. He married a French woman that visited as a tourist. But he is still free, even if he doesn’t live in the desert. Freedom is more about the way you think. To not worry too much about the future, to enjoy what you have today.”

That night, we sit in the stillness beneath a sky as black as molasses. The only noise is the gurgling of the shisha that we are sharing.

“If you could go back to living in the desert, would you?” I ask, breaking the silence.

“Yes,” he says, without hesitation. “Yes, I would.”

Aziz offers me the mouthpiece of the shisha. I breathe in the tobacco, letting the sweet smoke fill my lungs. The charcoals glow, as bright and hot as a desert sunset. I think back to Badr’s first question that had caught me off guard in the Atlas Mountains. “What makes you not free?”

I recalled what my fellow hikers had to say when I asked them the same question. Apparently, there was too much that stood in our way. The nine-to-five grind, debt, and the stresses of life in the city were all too confining.

Lasting reflections

My last days in Morocco are spent staying with a Berber family along the Hāhā coast. The village is certainly a far cry from life in the city. It’s a simple cluster of stone buildings. Goats and donkeys mosey around the yard, languid in the heat of the sun. The village overlooks the swelling ocean, and the tree-spangled cliffs that trace the shore.

I stroll along the beach with Mohammad. His three pet rescue goats potter along behind us, leaving a trail of hoof prints in the sand.

“We have nearly nothing” Mohammad says earnestly. “For example, I don’t have your passport. But if I choose to think only about that, I would cry. I would always be unhappy.”

Yet, Mohammad and his family show me Moroccan hospitality at its very best. They greet me like a long-lost family member, teach me how to cook traditional fish tajine, and take me to watch a breathtaking sunset over the coast.

It had become clear to me that freedom is not about what you do or don’t have. I finally had an answer for Badr’s question. There was only one thing standing between myself and freedom: me.

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Why you should embrace Berber culture on your Moroccan adventure

Being the highest peak in North Africa, the 4167m summit of Toubkal has become the most popular tourist draw in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Yet the best of the region's hiking trails are actually found beyond Toubkal's crown. So while the crowds are snaking slowly up the two-day ascent of Toubkal, an abundance of incredible other routes across these rugged ridges remain largely unexplored by tourists.

These trails follow centuries-old shepherds' paths between remote villages, allowing you to interact with Amazigh (Berber) villagers and experience their unique hospitality, architecture and language. And along the way you'll cross mountain pastures, skirt below craggy massifs and over panoramic passes. All in all, these routes provide you with a culturally immersive experience and a variety of landscapes that a direct summit shot could never hope to match.

Toubkal Circuit

Starting from the same trailhead as the Toubkal ascent and eventually climbing to the same summit, this circuit eschews the direct summit path to follow a seven-day ring around the Toubkal Massif through a challenging landscape that explores traditional lifestyles of the region.

You'll still need a local guide – this is mandatory for all Toubkal ascents – but the cultural insights they provide make interactions along the trail considerably more rewarding. Loping past the homes of seasonal herders in the summer pastures of Azib Likemt, trekkers may be invited for tea with these locals who live an agricultural and pastoral lifestyle that has been practised in the valley for centuries.

Descending into the village of Amsouzart, through prosperous walnut orchards and past crumbling pisé (rammed earth) houses now abandoned in favour of modern constructions, the curiosity of village children is punctuated by the friendly greetings of shopkeepers – and if you're lucky, one of these will be accompanied with an offer to sample the valley's exquisite local honey.

Read more: How to climb Toubkal, Morocco's highest peak

Above Amsouzert, the diminutive Ifni Lake is an unlikely but popular weekend party destination for Marrakechis escaping the hot summers below; for hikers, however, it's primarily a stop for lunch or a fresh-squeezed orange juice before ascending further towards a campsite just below the Tizi n'Ouanoums pass.

Though not straightforward and even a bit treacherous (you'll be happy to have that guide along), a small side path leads up a back-side ascent of the Toubkal Pass (4000m) to join the final leg towards the summit. It is possible to finish the trek back in Imlil the same day, but hikers with legs left under them often head over the Tizi n'Aguelzim pass to the impressive Cascades d'Irhoulidene and another small pasturage at Azib Tamsoult, before looping back to the trailhead.

Read more: Solo parenting in the foothills of Morocco's Atlas Mountains

M'Goun Traverse

Trails through flowing streams and up rocky ravines, with overnights in remote villages under towering kasbahs (fortresses), characterise the three-day M'Goun Traverse. But it's the the 4071m Jbel M'Goun that dominates this route. Rugged landscapes across the range and a traditional resistance to centralised authority have left the valleys here disconnected – both culturally and geographically – from regions nearer to Marrakesh; the trailhead village of Agouti in Aït Bougoumez was finally reachable by road only in 2016.

Luckily for hikers, many old shepherds' trails that cross the mountains remain, including the long hike above the Aït Bougoumez and several over small passes to the Tifra Valley village of Rougoult. The latter is one of the most beautiful villages anywhere in the M'Goun – its traditional-style houses hold fast to hillsides above the verdant small fields on either side of the Tifra River, all of it overlooked by one of the region's most picturesque kasbahs. Hikers often stay in the handful of informal guesthouses here, though it's equally appealing to fall asleep on a rooftop as the dark line of high peaks divide the twinkling stars above from the village lights below.

Read more: Where to get off the beaten track in Morocco

Atop the 2900m Tizi n'Rougoult, three hours up (or, in springtime, often through) the Tifra River, views stretch to each horizon past ochre rock walls and to tempting trails that lead to Jbel M'Goun and beyond. The path you take leads down to the prosperous village of Amezri, which sits alongside the Tassaout River. Amezri is the largest village in the region (thanks in part to a new mountain road to the market at Skoura), and its relative sprawl rewards aimless wandering with warm welcomes from locals.

The final stretch down the Tassaout Valley leaves hikers with two options: a straightforward road walk through pleasant villages – mostly notably impressive cliffside Ichbaken – or a higher-altitude trail through shepherds' pastures and picturesque passes, ending in Aït Alli n'Ito at one of the best guesthouses in the region: Gîte d'Étape Assanfou, itself a good base for day-hikes to nearby traditional villages like Magdaz and Fakhour.

Read more: Essential Moroccan experiences you won't want to miss

Jbel Saghro

The Saghro Massif presents a completely different face from Morocco's more popular hiking destinations. Harsh desert landscapes and palm-flanked oases replace the higher elevations' lush valleys and scattered villages, but the views here are no less picturesque for it, and the hospitality no less warm.

Expect hiking days to be somewhat longer here than elsewhere in the country – both in distance and duration. The trails peak out at the 2712m Amalou n'Mansour, which means the climbs are considerably shorter and the slopes considerably gentler. Combined with long, lazy lunches to escape the midday heat, a Saghro hike can feel like a laid-back alternative to the more popular regions of the Atlas.

Read more: Why Tangier should be your first port of call in Morocco

The plethora of low-lying, hikeable passes throughout Saghro offer a bewildering array of options for loop hikes or one-way walks between trailhead villages, but most hikers will plan their routes around a handful of cultural and natural highlights. The village of Assaka n'Aït Ouzzine is one that stands out; its centuries-old agadir (traditional granary) stands crumbling back into the sands of a postcard oasis, with palm trees lining the small stream below (reached by small beaten footpaths off the end of village lanes).

At the intersection of three valleys, dirt roads lead west over the Tagmout pass to the twisting rocky canyons below and east over the Tagourt pass to dramatic landscapes with names like 'Camel's Head Hill' and the 'Needles of Saghro'. Onwards, above the Ouarg Valley, the peak of Jebel Kouaouch (2595m) offers views that rival even those from Toubkal. Stretching from the M'Goun Massif far to the north and the dunes of the Sahara in the south, Saghro's most impressive panorama takes in not only the breadth of Morocco's beautiful landscapes but also a countless number of valleys, villages and hikes still waiting to be explored.

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