Schizophrenic Morocco!
- Solo traveller
- Feb 19, 2017
- 5 min read
If you are thinking of taking a winter sunshine break, you could do a lot worse than booking a trip to perennially warm Morocco. There is so much variety and diversity in what you can experience here, that it is almost schizophrenic!
Below are my personal three favourite and contrasting ‘faces of Morocco’, all of which I have been able to incorporate within short winter sunshine breaks to Marrakech.
Marrakech
The first of my favourite 'faces of Morocco' is Marrakech itself. This vibrant city has so much to offer, and it is no wonder that tourists numbers here are soaring. There is culture here in abundance, starting with the Bahia and El Badi Palaces, (the latter being a ruined palace, renowned for the Storks nesting on top of its walls). There are also hundreds of Mosques in Marrakech, which 5 times a day fill the air with the almost poetic call to prayer, and a real audible emersion of the cultural and religion of Morocco. Marrakech’s largest mosque, Koutoubia mosque, is right next to the bustling 11th century Jamaa el Fna square. Here in this main square you can really experience some of the flavours of Morocco, either quite literally in the abundant restaurants, or metaphorically with a whole concentration of traditions playing out in front of you, from the storytellers to the snake charmers!
(As with any busy tourist hotspot, it is sensible to remain vigilant for thieves and pick pockets, and of course be sensible with any displays of your purse/wallet or mobile phone).
It is also well worth visiting Jamaa el Fna square in the evening, when you can see it at its most busy and social, whilst taking the opportunity to admire the impressive sight of Koutoubia mosque lit up at night.
Marrakech also has the largest souk (traditional market place) in Morocco, somewhere it is quite literally easy to get lost in, with its mesmerising rabbit warren like array of streets and alleyways. It will also give you the opportunity to practice your bartering skills, which is not only common place, but completely expected.
From this bustling commercial maze you could go to the completely contrasting tranquillity of Majorelle Gardens, or the busier but still fairly serene Menara Gardens and pavilion, which as I found out, on a sunny day can be a quite stunning sight.
And this is just a sample of what Marrakech has to offer, as rich in flavour as the spices on offer in the local souks, it is little wonder that Marrakech was recently named the world's best destination by TripAdvisor.
Essaouira
The second of my favourite ‘faces of Morocco’ is Essaouira. I took a day trip excursion here from Marrakech for what was an extremely enjoyable day out, but you could happily book a holiday here in its own right.
Essaouira is a beautiful port city some 120 miles west of Marrakech on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, or about 2½-3 hours away by coach. The name loosely translated means ‘beautifully designed’, and nowhere is this more apparent, or at least appreciated, than in the local souk. Unlike the vast mazes of Marrakech, here it is based on grid system making it far easier to navigate your way through.
In the Berber language (the first inhabitants of Morocco) Essaouira is known as ‘Taṣṣort’, meaning 'small fortress', which refers to the impressive 18th century Skala de la Kasbah (sea fortress) that used to protect the city, and is still very much intact and part of the glorious landscape.
Essaouira has a far more relaxed and laid back atmosphere than Marrakech, and may explain why it was a popular hangout of Jimi Hendrix, images of whom can be found on various merchandising around the souks. It has also reportedly been visited by Mick Jagger, Cat Stevens and Paul Simon. More recently Stephanie Beacham revealed in an interview that she fell in love with the place so much that she has a holiday home here.
With its year round sunshine, beautiful beaches, medieval architecture, traditional souk and the bustling harbour that radiates with the vibrant blue fishing boats and excited squawks of seagulls hoping for an easy feed, it is no wonder that this charming ocean front city has been a popular holiday destination for celebrity and ‘ordinary traveller’ alike!
Atlas Mountains
My 3rd ‘face of Morocco’ is the Atlas Mountains.
The excursion that I booked visited the Ourika valley, Oukaimeden valley & Asni Valley and there is little that needs to be said about any of the locations covered in this tour, because words can not really do them or the scenery they contain justice, and which are not even captured to their true magnificence digitally.
The excursion I went on (as most do), also included a short break en-route to the Atlas Mountains at one of the many female argan oil co-operatives, which incorporates a walk through of how argan oil is extracted from the pit of the fruit, as well as a display of the many beauty products manufactured from it.
Once in the Atlas Mountains the first valley visited was the stunning Ourika valley, where basic but beautifully colourful furnished riverside restaurants adorn the Ourika river. And when I say riverside, I mean riverside! In some cases the colourful table and chairs were even in the shallows of the river. Here there is also an option of a short walk up to see the waterfalls and Berber craft shops, and was probably my favourite valley as a complete package.
My favourite in terms of pure views was the Oukaimeden valley, which is simply stunning and where (on the excursion I went on) we stopped off for a lunch of traditional Moroccan Chicken tagine on the rooftop terrace of a local Berber house, looking out to the most amazing scenery you could possibly imagine. It really is something that you have to experience for yourself, and see it to believe it.
I did the same excursion two years running, and if I go to Morocco again, I will also almost certainly be booking that same excursion for a third time. It is simply a sight to behold, awe inspiring.
But the simple truth is that there is so much more that you can do on a holiday to Marrakech, than just look around the wonders of Marrakech itself.
A day trip to Essaouira is well worth the early start and 5 hours return coach trip. And just one hour away you have the magnificence of the Atlas Mountains, which I also can’t recommend highly enough.
For another completely contrasting view of this amazing Country, (if you have the time), is to take a Sahara Desert excursion, though in most cases I believe that you would need to allow a couple of days for this, so in my case at least it was not practical.
But in other words, all within a reasonable distance you have a bustling city, a beach resort, Mountains and a desert!
And that is what I call diversity!
As a footnote, Morocco is of course a Muslim country, and dressing modestly and respectfully for men and women is strongly advised.
To avoid causing offence it is expected that you cover your shoulders and knees, and if you are planning on visiting mosque areas then this should be considered compulsory.
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