Places in Morocco

Discover the best of Morocco

Intricate medinas, unspoiled natural beauty, mysterious desert kasbahs, and endlessly fascinating souks – Morocco needs to be enjoyed at a slow pace. It would be impossible to see all that the country has to offer in a single trip, so it pays to be selective. 

Topping the list for most first-time visitors of key places to visit in Morocco are the four magnificent imperial cities – Fez, Meknes, Rabat and Marrakech. The independent traveller can reach them all by train or bus, but if you plan to explore south of Marrakech, heading into the Atlas Mountains, a hire car is useful. The most northern point of arrival, and the port of entry for people taking the ferry from Spain or Gibraltar, is Tangier.

Those wanting sea, sand and beaches head for Agadir or the Mediterranean coast, while Essaouira is popular with kite- and wind-surfers and those wanting a break from the heat of Marrakech.

Morocco's landscape

Morocco’s diverse geography is part of the country’s appeal and presents an incredible array of experiences. The northern Mediterranean region, edged by the soaring peaks of the Rif Mountains, is a land of rolling olive-dotted and herb-scented hills, windswept cliffs dipping into emerald coves and whitewashed villages clinging to hillsides. Here Spain is always on the horizon; in some places only a few kilometres separate the two countries.

The Middle Atlas, from Fez to Midelt, is a relatively untravelled region, and thinly populated. A wildlife paradise, where species such as the Barbary ape and golden eagle are found, the area’s landscapes range from mountain peaks (snow-capped in winter), reaching heights of 3,400 metres (11,150ft), to verdant cedar and pine-forested foothills and scrubby lowland plains. All present endless opportunities for those wanting to explore on foot or by mountain bike.

The High Atlas is much more extreme and in parts more remote. This is the highest mountain range in North Africa, with peaks soaring to over 5,000 metres (16,400ft). In the winter months much of the range is completely covered in snow and the high mountain passes and villages are cut off for days. This is the domain of various Berber tribes, historically warrior-like and isolated from the rest of the country. Today, their pisé and stone-built villages cling impossibly to high mountainsides, electricity has only recently reached many areas and life is hard. But the region presents spectacular prospects for some of the best hiking and trekking in the world.

At the other end of the spectrum, much of the southern half of the country is covered with dry coastal plains and vast tracts of desert. These are wild and historically rich areas in which to travel – from the windy expanses of the Atlantic Coast, battered by huge waves and scattered with long stretches of golden beach, to the deserts south of the High Atlas and in the Saharan region. Laced with lush palm oases and romantic kasbahs, this part of the country offers a huge variety of things to see and activities to pursue: from desert camping and dune-boarding to windsurfing and exploring age-old oases and kasbah life.