Insider tips for Morocco
What you need to know
Medina
A labyrinth of alleyways, colours and scents
#1 insider tip for Morocco. Adored by locals and tourists alike, medinas – Morocco’s traditional, historic old towns – are the reason many people choose to visit the country. The royal city of Fez boasts northern Africa’s largest medina. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. Those in Marrakesh, Meknes, Essaouira and Tétouan are also long-standing World Heritage Sites. Why? Because of their beauty and their historical importance (medinas are often surrounded by imposing city walls designed to protect against invasion).
They are also beloved for the fine craftsmanship displayed in the alleys and shops. The medina is a living, breathing blend of colours, sounds and people. And the next souk, the centre of social life and Moroccan culture, is never far away.
Insider tip
The Fez medina, which boasts 60 magnificent fountains decorated with vibrant zellige tiles, is the largest medieval Islamic old town in the world to still be occupied. Bustling with people and animals, its rustic cafés and restaurants set against a stunning backdrop, this is an irresistibly charming place. It’s also home to the world’s best leather!
Souk
Morocco’s magical, mystical marketplace
Insider tip
Jemaa el-Fnaa is Marrakesh’s main square: a place of snake charmers, storytellers, and crowds of pedestrians, cyclists and motorbikes. A magnet for tourists and a favourite meeting point for locals. Spend an unforgettable evening eating at Morocco’s most famous souk, surrounded by hundreds of food stalls and thousands of people.
A market, a commercial district, and the hub of Middle Eastern and Arab cities: the souk is the home of aromatic spices, colourful fabrics, traditional Moroccan handicrafts and touristy souvenirs. Whether in the alleys of UNESCO-protected medinas or on the main square in Marrakesh, souks are usually divided into different areas and prove as fascinating to Moroccans as they do to tourists.
One section is dedicated to food, another to clothes, while others are traditionally the terrain of jewellers and other businesses. Visit the souk to gaze in amazement and haggle for a bargain.
Riad
A Moroccan hideaway
In Arabic, riad simply means ‘garden with trees’. But a riad is much more than that: a traditional Moroccan town house or palace with a courtyard or interior garden featuring trees, exotic plants, fountains and refreshing pools of water. A place of unique tranquillity. An oasis. A sanctuary.
And often the epitome of luxury accommodation in Morocco – many of these exclusive, exquisitely furnished houses have been converted into hotels. A true insider tip!
Insider tip
In Marrakesh and Essaouira in particular, but also in Fez, you will find some enchanting riads within the medinas, not far from the souks. Looking for a hideaway for your dream holiday to Morocco? We will be delighted to put together a list of the country’s most beautiful riads.
Hammam
Experience Morocco’s bathing culture for yourself
Insider tip
Looking for a private, exclusive experience? We recommend visiting a hammam in a luxury hotel or riad, for example in Marrakesh, Essaouira or Agadir. Morocco’s best accommodation offers both traditional bathing rituals and a variety of spa treatments and massages to suit all requirements.
A trip to Morocco wouldn’t be the same without visiting a hammam! Often decorated in vibrant zellige tiles, these public bathhouses are not just a place to retreat, relax and feel good – they have been an integral part of the Moroccan lifestyle for centuries, during which time the hammam rituals have barely changed. Visitors remove their clothes (simple swimwear is permitted) and cover their bodies with towels before being thoroughly pampered by the staff.
Traditional bathing
A must on any Moroccan holiday!
Once you have been soaped up, rubbed down and massaged (body hair can also be removed if desired), hot water is poured all over you. A warm room is provided to help you acclimatise and relax. The hot steam bath opens your pores and the staff treat your body with savon beldi (black natural soap with olive oil), rhassoul (mineral clay) and argan oil. Afterwards, you relax in a cooler area while you reacclimatise. For Moroccans, the hammam ritual is not just about the body. It is also a place to meet and socialise – many people go once a week before attending services at the mosque.
Tagine
Moroccan cuisine for fans of meat and fish
Who makes the best tagine? What is its secret? What are the latest culinary trends for Morocco’s national dish? There are many myths surrounding tagine. In essence, it is a hearty dish of meat or fish and vegetables in which all ingredients are cooked together in a round earthenware pot over a charcoal fire.
The tagine pot is characterised by its domed (Berber) or pointed (Arab) lid. Make sure to try Moroccan cuisine’s most irresistible dish!
Sociability and simplicity are as much a part of tagine as saffron, coriander, caraway and cumin.
Insider tip
Saïd Boumahdi explains the ‘right way’ to eat tagine: ‘Moroccans eat straight from the (shared) pot using three fingers: the index finger and middle finger hold the flat bread, while the thumb pushes the food onto the bread. The fingers must not touch the tagine itself. In Morocco’s national dish, the flat bread serves as the cutlery!’
Kasbah
Mud castle on the edge of the desert
Insider tip
To the east of the High Atlas Mountains, the ‘Road of the Kasbahs’ begins in Ouarzazate, taking in the green Dades Valley and the Todra Gorge before reaching Tafilalt, Morocco’s largest date oasis. Just a little off-route, the best-preserved kasbah, Aït Benhaddou, can be found near Ouarzazate. Nurtured and modified in places, this imposing complex has been used as the spectacular setting for many Hollywood films. Since the fortified village was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the derelict houses have been restored and local people encouraged to reoccupy them.
Centuries old castles and fortresses built from mud, straw and fine gravel in shades of red and brown: kasbahs perch above fertile river oases, between green palm groves and before shimmering gravel deserts and rock formations that reach up to the sky. Above or within the medinas, Morocco’s historic centres, kasbahs were once where governors and kings resided to keep an eye on the coast and maintain an overview of the restless hinterland. Today, these impressive mud castles on the edge of the Moroccan desert seem to have come from another world.‘… as though Allah had removed all superfluous matter, that we humans might see the true essence of things behind appearances.’
Uwe George, desert scientist
