Morocco Beyond Marrakech

Marrakech does a very effective job of convincing visitors that it is Morocco. It is not. It is a superb, theatrical, slightly exhausting introduction to a country that gets considerably more interesting the further you go from it.

Give the city three nights, which is enough to do the medina, the gardens and one long dinner properly, and then commit the rest of the trip to somewhere else.

Over the Atlas

The drive south over the Tizi n'Tichka pass is one of the great road journeys in North Africa, and the new road has made it far less punishing than it used to be. Allow a full day rather than treating it as transport.

Ait Ben Haddou, the fortified earthen village on the far side, is the obvious stop and deserves the stop despite the film-set associations. Stay the night rather than day-tripping from Marrakech: it empties out completely by six and the light on the kasbah at dusk is the reason to be there.

Beyond it the Draa valley runs south through palmeries toward the desert. The dunes at Erg Chigaga are less visited than Merzouga and worth the extra effort if you have the time.

Fes, and Why It Beats Marrakech

Fes has the oldest and most intact medieval medina in the Arab world, and unlike Marrakech it is still primarily a working city rather than a visitor economy. It is harder, less polished, and considerably more rewarding.

Hire a guide for the first day, genuinely. The medina has thousands of lanes and no logic that a visitor can hold, and a good guide turns a stressful morning into a revelation. Then spend the second day lost on purpose, which is safe and is the whole point.

The tanneries are the famous sight and smell exactly as advertised. Go in the morning, accept the sprig of mint, and expect a sales pitch afterwards.

The Blue City and the Coast

Chefchaouen, up in the Rif mountains, is painted almost entirely in blue and is as photogenic as everyone says. It is also small, and a night or two is plenty. Go early in the morning for the lanes before the coaches arrive.

On the Atlantic, Essaouira is the antidote to the interior: windy, low-rise, white and blue, with a working fishing port and no hard sell at all. It is the place people extend their stay in. Casablanca, honestly, can be skipped unless you are there for the mosque, which is magnificent.

Driving, Guides and Money

Driving in Morocco between cities is straightforward, the roads are good, and it buys you enormous freedom. Driving inside the old cities is not worth attempting. Park outside the walls and walk.

A driver for the Atlas and desert leg is often cheaper than a rental once you account for one-way fees, and removes the mountain passes from your list of worries.

Haggling is expected in the souks and is a social exchange rather than a confrontation. Start well below, stay friendly, and be prepared to walk away without hard feelings on either side.

When to Go

March to May and September to November. The interior in July and August is genuinely dangerous levels of hot, and the desert is unvisitable in the middle of the day.

Winter is excellent in Marrakech and the coast, cold at night in the mountains, and snow can close the high passes. Ramadan changes opening hours and the atmosphere considerably, in ways that are interesting but worth knowing about in advance.