On The Bucket List: A Guide to Morocco
With international travel on hold, it's the perfect time to start curating a bucket list of dream destinations to explore when borders open!
Today we're transporting you to the beautiful country of Morocco.
There's so much to see and do, so we've put together a guide with everything you need to know.
Chefchaouen
After a short ferry ride from the south of Spain into Morrocco's port city Tangier, we hired a car and started heading towards one of the world's most beautiful cities, Chefchaouen.
The drive was just over two hours and we broke it up by stopping at the Caves of Hercules, where legend says Roman God Hercules slept in before doing his 11th labour.
We then drove through the Rif Mountains and arrived in the famous blue medina of Chefchaouen, where we spent the rest of the day exploring the blue alleys lined with fresh spices and crafts. Legend has it that the town was painted blue by the Jewish people who fled there after the Spanish Reconquista - the colour being symbolic of the sky and God's power.
Stay:
Casablanca
After a delicious breakfast at the riad, we headed towards Casablanca, stopping in Rabat to break up the five-hour drive. Here we checked out Hassan Tower and the ancient citadel, Kasbah of the Udayas.
Once we arrived in Casablanca we headed straight to Hassan II Mosque, which is the only mosque in the country that allows non-muslims to enter.
It's the 7th largest mosque in the world and has one of the tallest minarets ever made!
Stay:
Essaouira
Our next stop was the fisherman's village of Essaouira. It was a five-hour drive along the coast, but worth it to see this charming town!
Fans of Game of Thrones will recognise the city as one of the spots the show was filmed, and when you arrive in the 18th-century fortified town you'll see why!
It's also a popular destination for windsurfing and is commonly referred to as "The Wind City."
Essaouira was my favourite city in Morocco - we were there during Ramadan and met some kind locals who invited us into their home to break the fast, and the food was incredible!
Stay: Riad Maison du Sud
Marrakesh
The drive from Essaouira to Marrakesh was just under three hours inland. We passed through the Argan Forest on the way to Marrakesh and stocked up on some of the country's famous oil, drove past goats climbing trees and saw some traditional mud brick Berber villages.
Marrakesh is famous for its bustling medina and we hired a local guide to show us around for the full experience. We did a walking tour of the medina, visiting Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and Majorelle Gardens, and then heading into the souks of Old Town.
Local stallholders sell all kinds of traditional textiles, pottery and jewellery and Marrakesh is the perfect place to buy some gifts to bring home!
Stay: Riad Maialou
Dades Gorge
We passed through the Tizi n'Tichka, a mountain pass 2260m above sea level, on the way to Dades Gorge. From here you can take in the charming landscape. Our next stop was Aït Benhaddou Kasbah - a UNESCO heritage site since 1987.
The Kasbah was one of the most important fortress strongholds on the old Salt Road, where caravans brought slaves, gold, ivory, salt and silk from sub-Saharan countries to Marrakech.
Aït Benhaddou is also a popular location for filmmakers, with movies including Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator and being shot there!
After this, we drove on for another two hours before we arrived at the most spectacular Riad overlooked the Gorge. The Riad Dades feels like you're staying with family and their homecooked meals were some of the best food we had on the whole trip!
Stay: Riad Dades
Merzouga
Merzouga is a small village in the Sahara Desert. When we arrived we met up with a guide and rode camels to a Berber camp in the middle of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, where we were staying. These sand dunes are some of the highest in the world!
As the sun was setting we climbed to the top of one of the dunes and watched the deep colours paint the sky - it was the best sunset I've ever seen.
When we arrived at the campsite, dinner was being prepared for us and we ate tagine around a campfire while chatting with the local people.
That night we looked at the sky full of stars and played music around the fire.
The tents had everything you needed for a comfortable stay, with a shower and bathroom inside and room for four people.
It's worth getting up for the sunrise because as soon as the sun is up the tents heat up quickly!
Stay: Berber Camp
Fes
We continued our journey through the High Atlas mountains to arrive at our final destination, Morocco's "cultural capital" Fes. The city transports you back in time to the medieval ages with an authentic medina, busting with activity.
We hired a local guide to show us around the city and saw the first university in the world founded by Fatima al-Fihri, as well as some of the local tanneries that Fez is famous for.
This was our last stop so we stocked up on lots of goodies from local merchants, including hand-painted bowls, leather bags and a rug.
Stay: Jardin chrifa
Morocco is a remarkable country. From towering mosques to grand desert dunes, there is so much beauty in this North African country. But the magic of Morocco is found in the generosity of its people, who welcome you with delicious food and masterful craftsmanship.
If there's one place to add to the bucket list, it's Morrocco!
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