Morocco Travel Guide

Marrakech, one of Morocco's four imperial cities, spreads across the plain at the foot of the Atlas mountains — the ochre-red walls and buildings that earned it the name Red City. The medina's lanes tangle past spice stalls, leather dyers and artisans' workshops; the 14th-century Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Maghreb's finest Islamic college, dazzles with cedar carving and mosaic courtyards, while the Koutoubia minaret rules the skyline. After dark, Jemaa el-Fna becomes Africa's great open-air theatre: snake charmers, storytellers, Gnawa musicians and a hundred food stalls boiling into the night. Early mornings are quietest and best for photographs, and in the souks the etiquette is to haggle from about a third of the asking price.

The Caves of Hercules lie in the sea cliffs near Cape Spartel west of Tangier, a natural grotto hollowed by the waves. An opening in the wall shaped like the African continent — the 'Map of Africa' — makes it Tangier's most imaginative coastal wonder, tied to the legend of Hercules resting here. Outside, strong sea winds meet a clifftop lighthouse and coastal path, best lit for photos at dusk.

The Hassan II Mosque is a grand, magnificent seaside mosque in Casablanca, with one of the world's tallest minarets, overlooking the Atlantic - the city's number-one sight. Built in the late 20th century, it is Morocco's grandest, largest mosque and among the world's largest. Its most striking feature is the roughly 200 m minaret - among the world's tallest - with a laser at night pointing to Mecca. Uniquely, part of it is built over the Atlantic, so worshippers pray above the sea. Its decoration - cedar carving, mosaic tilework, stucco and a retractable roof - is exquisite. One of the few Moroccan mosques open to non-Muslim visitors (with a guided tour at set times). Dress modestly and respect the faith.

From the village of Merzouga on Morocco's southeastern edge lies the grandest gateway to the Sahara: the Erg Chebbi dune sea. Rust-orange dunes rise to about 150 metres and roll toward the Algerian border, flaming gold at sunset and shading from rose to amber at dawn. The classic move is a camel trek up the crests at dusk, listening to the dunes' faint whistling as temperatures shift, then sandboarding down; nights are spent in Berber tent camps, with drums by the fire and the Milky Way overhead. Always go deep into the dunes with a local guide, bring a headlamp and wind scarf, and climb before sunrise to watch the sun rise over Algeria — the highlight of any Morocco trip.

The Médina of Chefchaouen is a blue old town set in the Rif Mountains, founded in the 15th century by Muslim and Jewish refugees. Tiered blue-and-white houses climb the slope; squares, fountains and craft workshops weave together — Morocco's most photogenic and tranquil mountain maze. The blue shifts from misty dawn light to deep noon blue; every alley corner is a postcard frame.

La Corniche de Casablanca is the seaside promenade of Morocco's largest city. Stretching from the Hassan II Mosque to the Anfa district along the Atlantic, with open sea views on one side, luxury hotels and beach clubs on the other, and a spectacular sunset into the Atlantic, it is the most popular place for walking, jogging and socializing — the best spot to experience the modern, leisurely side of this white Moroccan metropolis. The promenade extends along Casablanca's northwest coast — from near the Hassan II Mosque north to Anfa, with Atlantic views and beach on one side, luxury hotels, beach clubs, restaurants and cafes on the other. It is the city's leisure core — morning joggers, evening families, night couples, each time with its own charm. At dusk, the sun sinks into the Atlantic with the Hassan II Mosque silhouetted against the golden sea — the promenade's most beautiful moment. Moroccan hammams, seawater pools and beach clubs are adjacent. Visiting to feel the leisure and sunset grandeur of a white metropolis on the Atlantic is a relaxed, pleasant seaside experience.