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Morocco is exotic and mysterious. It’s situated on the Northwestern edge of Africa, separated from the rest of the continent by the towering Atlas Mountains, and by the Sahara Desert itself.
From the blue city of Chefchaouen, incredible surf in Taghazout to the windy beaches of Essaouira, Morocco is diverse, teeming with culture and incredibly beautiful. Marrakech has to be seen to be believed – centred around the Koutoubia Mosque and the Djemaa El Fna, its 11th century medina is an enchanting tangle of colourful souks, fragrant food stalls, hidden gardens and ancient tombs and palaces. Days in Morocco are punctuated by the loud and distinctive muezzin call to daily prayer or salat, which occurs 5 times a day at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall.
Morocco is great for year-round sun, adventuring through the Atlas Mountains, swimming in the sea and camel rides. There are endless shopping opportunities as you wind through the wonderful maze of stalls in the souks. Bring back leather sandals, slippers, spices, kaftans, blankets, jewellery, baskets and (of course) rugs! There are amazing Mosques to visit, gardens to enjoy, tombs to take in and several museums to bring the rich history of the area to life.
Moroccan food, some of the best in the world, is full of delectable flavour combinations and delicate spices. Imagine sardines wrapped in a wonderfully fresh mixture of coriander, parsley, cumin, and a hint of chilli. Try sharp green olives with chopped preserved lemon peel swirled into a tagine of succulent chicken. Morocco's cuisine, heavily influenced by Andalusian Spain, Arabia, and France, is a delectable blend of succulent flavours that set it apart.
Of course, we can’t talk about Moroccan cuisine without mentioning tagine. This slow cooked meal is made in conical clay pots and heated over an open fire. You can see tagine being made everywhere from roadside cafes to top restaurants as well as in almost every home kitchen in the country too. Often accompanied by brown rice or couscous, the tagine sauce is usually mopped up with khobz, a traditional flatbread.
You must try Moroccan mint tea – its unlike anything you will have tried before. It is served just about everywhere and is traditionally made by the male head of the family and offered to guests as a sign of hospitality. Green tea is added to an ornate silver teapot with sprigs of fresh spearmint and (generous amounts of) sugar freshly carved off the sugarcone. Its then poured from extraordinary heights into small, highly decorated glasses.
If you have a sweet tooth Morocco certainly won’t disappoint. Try m’hanncha, or ‘snake cake’ as its also known – a delicious harqua pastry filled with sweet almond paste before being rolled into a coil shape like a sleeping snake. It's finished with a dusting of icing sugar and warm, orange flower-infused honey.
Marrakech by day is glorious – it's almost like a filmset with the snake charmers and monkey handlers filling the Djemaa El-Fna square within the medina walls. No trip to Marrakech would be complete without a visit to the famous Djemaa El Fna, with its fantastic array of food stalls. Surrounding the square are some fabulous cafés for mint tea and people-watching. Be sure to visit the Bahia Palace, Jardin Majorelle and the Yves Saint Laurent museum whilst you’re in Marrakech. Wander around the souks and try your hand at haggling – there are so many beautiful wares on offer, from artisan pottery to vintage jewellery, mountains of spices, lights and stunning soft-furnishings too.
The Ourika Valley, only thirty minutes from the medina in Marrakech, moves away from the hustle and bustle of the city and towards the peace and quiet of the Atlas Mountains foothills. It's a serene haven with an abundance of wildlife, beautiful flowers, vineyards, olive groves, and cherry trees.
Venture further afield for camel rides on the beach in Essaouira, or trek through the Atlas Mountains by camel to camp in traditional Berber tents under the stars in the Sahara. Just one day in Morocco is a fabulous sensory invasion, and its second to none.
Try a traditional Hammam spa, a cleansing Moroccan ritual that is centuries old. Your body is cleansed from head to toe in a humid steam chamber, where your Tellak (hammam attendant) will douse you with water before applying traditional ‘black soap’ to the skin and exfoliating it with a kessa glove. Finish with a cold rinse then sit back and relax with a mint tea and the scent of sandalwood coming from the steam.
The Djeema El-Fna is the highlight of any Marrakech night. With musicians, dancers and story tellers packed into the square in the heart of the medina, filling it with a cacophony of drumbeats and excited shouts. Stalls in the souk sell a wide array of Moroccan trinkets, glassware, and fabrics, and are open late into the evening – it’s a shopper’s dream!
There are some fabulous restaurants within the medina walls, many hidden away on rooftops offering dazzling views over the illuminated bustling square.
Morocco is the perfect destination if you’re wanting almost guaranteed sunshine. It has a desert climate, so very hot, dry summers and cooler but still sunny winters. It's just a 3.5hr flight from London to Morocco, so it’s a great place for those residing in the Northern hemisphere to get a quick fix of winter sunshine.
The hottest months are July & August, but it can sometimes be a little too hot for some, with temperatures regularly reaching the low-to-mid 40°Cs. Spring and Autumn are our favourite times of year to visit Morocco – even into late October daytime temperatures average around 28°C, so it's perfect for Autumn half term UK school holidays. We’d also highly recommend getting your friends together for a November shopping trip – the souks are the perfect place to get a head start on your Christmas shopping!
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