10 Best Places to Visit in Morocco

Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman may have given the world Casablanca, but there is much more to see in Morocco than its largest city. This Atlantic coast country gives travelers the opportunity to experience life in an ancient Arabic culture, sunning on beaches or snow skiing in the mountains. Whether rambling through ancient medinas, sampling cuisine at a local souq or relaxing in the sun at a white-washed seaside town, the past is always present in this diverse and colorful country. An overview of the best places to visit in Morocco:

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10. Sidi Ifni

flickr/c.hug

Sidi Ifni is a small fishing town of about 20,000 inhabitants that is located on the Atlantic coast of southwest Morocco. It is a former Spanish territory that still retains that heritage. Sidi Ifni is popular with surfers. Temperatures average 22°C/71°F year round, making any time a good time to visit; it is a haven for Europeans seeking respite from cold winters to the north. Sidi Ifni is bigger on atmosphere than on things to do, but it does have a lively fish market as well as a Sunday market at the old airfield.

9. Rabat (Where to Stay)

flickr/Jorge Lascar

Rabat, located on the Moroccan coast, is the country’s capital and a top tourist destination – CNN named it one of the top travel destinations of 2013. The new portion of the city is pleasant, with wide boulevards and outdoor cafes. Most travelers will gravitate to the old town, or medina, with its fortified walls. Here, they can shop for carpets and leather, while soaking in the atmosphere of another culture. Also worth seeing is the Kasbah des Oudaias that sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean.

8. Meknes (Where to Stay)

Meknes is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and its name and fame are closely linked to that of Sultan Moulay Ismail. The sultan turned Meknes into an impressive city in Spanish-Moorish style, surrounded by high walls with great gates. While Meknes is an imperial city with a lot of historical monuments and natural sites it is also the nearest city to the Roman ruins of Volubilis.

7. Chefchaouen (Where to Stay)

Chefchaouen might just as well be called the blue city because it’s filled with – what else? – buildings in various shades of blue. Located in northwest Morocco, Chefchaouen is close to Tangier, making it a popular tourist destination. It’s popular with shoppers who can find Moroccan handicrafts, such as woven blankets, not found elsewhere in the country. Goat cheese also is popular, but most likely doesn’t top the popularity of kief, a part of the cannabis plant, that is openly sold in shops.

6. Asilah (Where to Stay)

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Now a popular seaside resort town, Asilah has a glorious history that dates back to when it was a trade center for the Phoenicians in 1500 BC. In the 19th and 20th centuries, pirates used it as a base of operations. Fortifications from these bygone eras remain, surrounding the restored medina. Asilah is located on Morocco’s north coast about 30 km (20 miles) from Tangier. It’s a hot summer spot for Moroccans; travelers who want to avoid crowds had best visit in spring or fall. Whitewashed buildings complete the picturesque scene. It has a good selection of budget hotels and restaurants, and a growing art scene. About 2.5 km (1.5 miles) south of Asilah lies Paradise beach, a wonderful wide stretch of sand, popular with locals and tourists.

5. Essaouira (Where to Stay)

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Situated on Morocco’s Atlantic coastline, Essaouira is one of the nation’s most popular beach destinations. White-washed homes sporting cobalt blue shutters provide a scenic backdrop for breezy seaside adventures, which include kitesurfing and windsurfing. The city’s medina features crafts made using centuries-old techniques, including thuya wood carving and cabinet making. Essaouira, formerly called Mogador, is a natural port. It’s been prized as such since the 1st century, when the protected bay provided anchorage for Romans trading for the purpura shells.

4. Fes (Where to Stay)

Fes, or Fez, is a former capital of Morocco that is now the country’s third largest city. Home to University of Al-Karaouine, the world’s oldest university, Fes is an ancient city that still retains two old medinas. Travelers may want to begin their visit by walking through the Fes el Bali medina, where goods are transported by donkeys and handcarts. With a population of about 150,000 inhabitants, the medina is the largest carfree urban area in the world by population. Traditional adobe homes and courtyards ornamented with mosaic tiles line a maze of narrow streets and alleys filled with souqs and shops. Fes is also famous for dyed leather goods. Several places are limited to Muslims, but just viewing the striking exteriors makes the trip worthwhile.

3. High Atlas

flickr/Vincent_AF

The High Atlas is a mountain range that runs from the coast of Morocco towards Alergia. The range includes Toubkal National Park, which contains the Morocco’s highest peak, Jbel Toubkal (4,160 meters/13,670 feet). The Berber village Imlil is a good place to start the climb of Toubkal. The tallest mountain range in North Africa, the High Atlas offers outdoor recreation opportunities year round, from snow sports in the winter to hiking in the summer. One of the best places to visit in Morocco is the Todra Gorge in the eastern part of the High Atlas, near the town of Tinerhir. Both the Todra and neighboring Dades rivers have carved out steep cliff-sided canyons through the mountains. The last 600 meters (2,000 feet) of the Todra gorge are the most spectacular. On the edge of the High Atlas Mountains is Aït-Benhaddou, a traditional Mud Brick city that has appeared in many movies including Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator.

2. Merzouga (Where to Stay)

wikipedia/Bjorn

Merzouga is a small village in southeastern Morocco not too far from the border with Algeria. It’s on the tourist route because of its proximity to Erg Chebbi, sand dunes created by winds that reach up to 150 meters (500 feet) high. Travelers looking for a unique experience might want to take an overnight camel ride through the wavy, deep reddish-orange dunes. Most group tours end up at a pre-setup camp at the base of some very large dunes, where the various tour operators have their Berber tents set up. Dinner will be cooked here, perhaps some music played, and visitors can frolic on the sand dunes under zillions of stars.

1. Marrakech (Where to Stay)

Formerly one of the country’s imperial cities, Marrakech is sometimes referred to as the Red City because of its sandstone buildings. During the 1960s, Marrakech was known as a “hippie mecca,” attracting famous celebrities such as The Beatles, Yves Saint Laurent and the Rolling Stones. Comprised of beautiful old architecture and courtyards of orange, palm, apricot and olive trees, Marrakech today is still one of Africa’s most popular tourist destinations. The best way to sample its charms is to take off walking through the medina: watch a snake charmer, haggle over an old carpet, eat local delicacies such as sheep’s head or have a massage in a public bath. Other possibilities include strolling through the Jardin Majorelle, a botanical garden that blends art deco and Moorish features, and sipping mint tea at a traditional tea house.

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10 Ancient Egyptian Monuments

Ancient Egypt is one of the world’s great civilizations. After a unified kingdom arose around 3150 BC a series of dynasties ruled Egypt for the next three millennia. During this incredible long era the ancient Egyptians produced some of the most famous monuments in the world of which many have survived the ages. Below is a list of the most amazing ancient Egyptian monuments.

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10. Temple of Hatshepsut

flickr/Stefan Geens

The Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt from around 1479 BC until her death in 1458 BC, is situated beneath the cliffs at Deir el Bahari on the west bank of the Nile. It is a colonnaded structure, which was designed and implemented by Senemut, the royal architect of Hatshepsut, to serve for her posthumous worship and to honor the glory of Amun. The temple is built into a cliff face that rises sharply above it and consists of three layered terraces reaching 30 meters (97 ft ) in height. These terraces are connected by long ramps which were once surrounded by gardens.

9. Bent Pyramid

The Bent Pyramid located at Dahshur was the second pyramid built by pharaoh Sneferu. Mysteriously, the pyramid rises from the desert at an angle of 55 degrees and then suddenly changes to a more gradual angle of 43 degrees. One theory holds that due to the steepness of the original angle the weight to be added above the inner chambers and passageways became to large, forcing the builders to adopt a shallower angle. It is the only pyramid in Egypt of which the outer casing of polished limestone is still largely intact.

8. Step Pyramid of Djoser

The Step Pyramid of Djoser at the Saqqara necropolis was the very first pyramid built by the ancient Egyptians. It was constructed during the 27th century BC for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser by his Vizier Imhotep. The ancient monument began as a traditional, flat-roofed mastaba but by the end of Djoser’s reign it had risen to a six stepped layer Pyramid and stood 204 feet (62 meters) high. As in earlier mastaba tombs, the burial chambers of the Step Pyramid are underground, hidden in a maze of tunnels.

7. Luxor Temple

flickr/TrevorLowe

The Luxor Temple is located on the east bank of the River Nile in the ancient city of Thebes and was founded in 1400 BC during the New Kingdom. The temple was dedicated to the three Egyptian gods Amun, Mut, and Chons. The ancient temple was the center of the festival of Opet, Thebes’ most important festival. During the annual festival the statues of the three Gods were escorted to the temple of Luxor along the avenue of sphinxes that connect the 2 temples.

6. Great Sphinx

Located at the Giza Plateau, The Great Sphinx is one of the largest and oldest monuments in the world, but basic facts about it, such as who was the model for the face, when it was built, and by whom, are still debated. It is the largest monolith statue in the world although it is considerably smaller than the Pyramids around it. Despite conflicting evidence and viewpoints over the years, the traditional view held by modern Egyptologists at large remains that the Great Sphinx was built in approximately 2500 BC by the pharaoh Khafre, the supposed builder of the second pyramid at Giza.

5. Red Pyramid

flickr/acaaron816

Built by Pharaoh Sneferu, the Red Pyramid is the world’s first successful attempt at constructing a “true” smooth-sided pyramid. At 104 meters it is the 4th highest pyramid ever built in Egypt. What really makes the Red Pyramid special today is the lack of crowds that plagues the Giza Plateau and the comparatively unregulated interior access.

4. Valley of the Kings

flickr/Jean-Pierre Dalbera

The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and privileged nobles of the New Kingdom. The valley contains 63 tombs and chambers, ranging in size from a simple pit to a complex tomb with over 120 chambers. The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and give clues to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. All of the tombs seem to have been opened and robbed in antiquity. Only the famous tomb of Tutankhamun was spared from the worst of the tomb depredations.

3. Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel is an archaeological site comprising two massive rock temples in southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses The Great in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari. The complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s to avoid their being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River.

2. Karnak (Where to Stay)

flickr/Mr. Theklan

Although badly ruined, few sites in Egypt are more impressive than Karnak. It is the largest ancient religious site in the world, and represents the combined achievement of many generations of Egyptian builders. Most of the work on Karnak was done by the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (1570-1100 BC). The Temple of Karnak actually consists of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples located about 2.5 kilometers north of Luxor. One of most famous structures of Karnak is the Hypostyle Hall, a hall area of 5,000 m2 (50,000 sq ft) with 134 massive columns arranged in 16 rows.

1. Pyramids of Giza (Where to Stay)

flickr/Tommy Wong

The Giza necropolis, situated in the immediate vicinity of the southwestern suburbs of Cairo is home to the most famous ancient Egyptian monuments. The pyramids in Giza were built over the span of three generations – by Khufu, his second reigning son Khafre, and Menkaure. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest and sole remnant of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Over 2 million blocks of stone were used to construct the pyramid, during a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. The pyramid is an awe-inspiring 139 meters (455 feet) high making it the largest pyramid in Egypt, although nearby Khafre’s Pyramid appears to be larger as it is build at a higher elevation.

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10 Top Tourist Attractions in Marrakech

Formerly one of Morocco imperial capitals, Marrakech (also spelled Marrakesh) is an exotic city luring visitors with its Moroccan charm. Whether travelers arrive on the express or tour the city with thoughts of Charles Boyer and his Kasbah at the fore, all will be enchanted by what they find. Whether haggling for a bargain in a souk or watching a snake charmer at work, this medieval North African city will always find something new to tempt visitors with. An overview of the top tourist attractions in Marrakech:

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10. Menara gardens

wikipedia/Acp

The Menara gardens are popular with locals and visitors alike since they provide a cool place to escape the heat of Marrakesh’s scorching summer days. The original purpose of the 12th century gardens was to provide a place for people to cool off and grow crops. Smaller gardens are built around a large arterial lake that is fed by canals. Palm, olive and fruit trees grow in the orchards, so visitors can usually see pruners and pickers at work. A good place to view the gardens is from the pavilion or minzeh, once used by a sultan and his family, that overlooks the pool.

9. Saadian Tombs

flickr/frankdouwes

The Saadian Tomb were used as a burial place for royalty and nobility for a couple of hundred years starting in the mid-16th century. The last burial took place in 1792, and then the tombs were neglected, until they were rediscovered in 1917. The tombs consist of two main mausoleums where 66 people are buried, while another 100 are buried in the gardens, with their gravestones covered in tile. The buildings are imposing, plain in some places and highly decorative in others.

8. El Badi Palace

flickr/Jonybraker

El Badi Palace may be in ruins today, but it was once an ornate palace that was funded by ransom paid by the Portuguese after the Battle of the Three Kings in the mid-16th century. Only the most lavish and expensive materials were used during the 25 years it took to construct the palace. Gold and onyx were used throughout, with the sultan trading sugar for the Italian marble used in the columns. The palace had 360 rooms and several pavilions. A later sultan raided the building of its lush materials and furnishings for his own palace; as a result, only ruins remain today.

7. Koutoubia Mosque

The Koutoubia Mosque is a Marrakesh landmark, towering over the southwest medina of the city. Dating back to the 12th century, the mosque stands out, easily since its minaret is 77 meters (253 feet) high, as Marrakesh’s largest mosque. While other roads may all lead to Rome, In Marrakesh they lead to the mosque. During the French Occupation, the mosque was used as the central point for the network of roads. The red stone mosque has six rooms, one on top of another, so designed to keep people on the minaret from looking in on the king’s harem. Non-Muslims are not allowed inside.

6. Bahia Palace

It took the best workers in Morocco 60 years to build Bahia Palace, found in the medina or old quarter of Marrakesh. The collection of one big house and several small ones into a palace was certainly worth the wait. Built in the 19th century for a grand vizier, it incorporates the best of Islamic and Moroccan influences. The palace today receives state visitors to Morocco. Because it is a working government building, not all rooms are open to the public, but some of those that are include the harem quarters and gardens.

5. Jardin Majorelle

wikipedia/Viault

When it comes time to relax in busy Marrakesh, savvy travelers will head to Jardin Majorelle, an oasis of beautiful flowers, lush greenery and patios where visitors can sit and refresh their senses. The garden is named for the French painter, Jacques Majorelle, who spent 40 years creating it after he moved to Morocco. Since 1980 the garden has been owned by Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé. The garden is small by some standards, but is exquisitely designed with exotic plants, fountains and meandering pathways, all with the aim of reminding visitors of some aspect of Morocco.

4. Ben Youssef Madrasa

flickr/just_a_cheeseburger

Ben Youssef Madrasa was once a theological college devoted to teaching of the Quran. Once the largest learning center in North Africa, it housed up to 900 students at a time. The madras is centered around a large courtyard, with an elaborately decorated prayer hall in back. Now an historic site, the madrasa is marked by distinctive architecture, which is reminiscent of the Alhambra in Spain. Inscriptions in Arabic can be found throughout the complex. Visitors say it’s worth a visit to see the mosaics and 14th century architecture.

3. Marrakech Medina (Where to Stay)

flickr/Evan Williams

The old medina of Marrakech is full of intertwining narrow passageways and local shops full of character. The Medina is also the place to stay in a Riad, a Moroccan house with an internal courtyard. Most windows are inward facing towards the central atrium. This design suits Islamic tradition, as there is no obvious wealth statement being made externally, no windows to peer through. They are great places to stay and offer an intimate and relaxing retreat.

2. Marrakech Souks

flickr/jbdodane

Shoppers in the souks of Marrakesh are in for a mind-boggling experience. The city has five main souks, each devoted to a single product. There’s one for carpets and another for traditional Moroccan leather slippers known as babouches; note bright yellow slippers are intended for men. A third centers around metalworking, while another sells a fragrant array of spices. The Mellah or Jewish Quarter isn’t really a souk, but it’s a good place to buy fabrics, trims and notions. Haggling is expected; shoppers should start their initial price at no more than half what the merchant is seeking.

1. Djemaa el Fna (Where to Stay)

Djemaa el Fna, located in the medina, is the main square in the city as well as the most popular tourist attraction in Marrakesh. It also is a market, where travelers can buy orange juice or watch a snake charmer at work. As the day moves on, the snake charmers are placed with traditional dancers and magicians, who are replaced themselves by food stalls. A souk selling daily necessities is on one side, hotels on another. The colorful market square may be familiar to moviegoers, since it was featured in the Hitchcock film, The Man Who Knew Too Much.

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