Larache
Set on a hill with spectacular views over the Loukos Estuary, the Carthaginian and Roman ruins of Lixus are evocative reminders that settlements on this…
Must-see attractions in Northern Atlantic Coast
Casablanca
This opulent mosque, built at enormous expense, is set on an outcrop jutting over the ocean with a 210m-tall minaret that's a city landmark. It's a…
Rabat
First came the Phoenicians, then the Romans took control of this beautiful hilltop site above the fertile Bou Regreg river plain around 40 CE. From 1154,…
Rabat
Rabat's historic citadel occupies the site of the original ribat (fortress-monastery) that gave the city its name. Predominately residential, its narrow…
Essaouira
Surrounded by dramatic, wave-lashed ramparts, the narrow streets, hassle-free souqs, street vendors and vibrant galleries of Essaouira's walled medina…
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Asilah
Asilah’s compact medina is surrounded by sturdy stone fortifications built by the Portuguese in the 15th century. Enter through the Bab Al Kassaba and…
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El Jadida
Head through the main entrance gate of the Unesco-protected Cité Portugaise off Place Mohammed Ben Abdallah, and on the left are the early 16th-century…
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Northern Atlantic Coast
An ochre-walled warren of winding streets, whitewashed houses and hole-in-the-wall shops, Azemmour's medina has yet to undergo an all-encompassing…
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Larache
Entered through the Bab Al Khemis, an imposing Hispano-Moorish structure, Larache's blue-and-white medina has changed little over the years. Mostly…
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Larache
Built by the Spanish, who called it Plaza de España (some locals still do), this grand oval-shaped plaza is the town's focal point. Decorated with palm…
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Musée Mohammed VI Art Moderne et Contemporain
Rabat
Conceived and funded by the present king, this museum opened in 2014 as the country's first national museum of modern and contemporary art. Alongside a…
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Rabat
The present king’s father (the late Hassan II) and grandfather were laid to rest in this marble mausoleum, which is decorated with exquisite examples of…
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Abderrahman Slaoui Foundation Museum
Casablanca
This privately owned house-turned-museum showcases Abderrahman Slaoui’s outstanding collection of Moroccan decorative arts, from Orientalist travel…
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Rabat
When the French arrived in the early 20th century, this walled medina by the sea was the full extent of the city. Built on an orderly grid in the 17th…
Essaouira
Essaouira’s wide, sandy beach is great for walking and kitesurfing, but sunbathing and swimming can be difficult when the winds are strong. For swimming,…
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Northern Atlantic Coast
Don't miss a boat trip on the Merja Zerga (Blue Lagoon), roughly 1km south of town. Part of a 70 sq km namesake national park (4 sq km of water, the rest…
Essaouira
Essaouira's large working port is noisy, pungent and hugely atmospheric. Along with the flurry of sea-blue wooden boats arriving and departing, nets being…
Essaouira
Just off the coast lies the Île de Mogador, which is actually two islands and several tiny islets. They are also known as the famed Îles Purpuraires …
Essaouira
You might recognise the ramparts of the 18th-century Skala de la Ville. They, along with the hulking Bastion Nord, had a starring role in Game of Thrones…
Essaouira
This honey-coloured bastion looms over the picturesque harbour and its sea-blue fishing boats. Look back at the walled medina from here, through a curtain…
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Northern Atlantic Coast
Small and relatively easy to navigate, this 13th-century walled medina retains an almost medieval flavour. It's visited on a regular basis by the city's…
Essaouira
Head to the port in the afternoon when the sea-blue boats come in for the day and the fishermen auction off their catch. There's always some heated…
Essaouira
Join the locals and street cats picking up their fresh fish at this small market. For a cheap lunch, buy half a dozen sardines, and for around Dh10 one of…
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Casablanca
The only Jewish museum in the Arabic-speaking world, this institution is set in an attractive garden villa that once functioned as a Jewish orphanage. It…
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Northern Atlantic Coast
This freshwater lake, part of the Lac Sidi Boughaba Parc National, is located in Mehdia, on the outskirts of industrial Kenitra. As a refuelling stop for…
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Casablanca
Though lacking the medieval magic that characterises many Moroccan medinas, Casablanca’s compact 19th-century example is still worth a wander. You're…
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Northern Atlantic Coast
The mysterious Monoliths of M’Soura make an interesting half-day trip from Asilah. This prehistoric site consists of a large stone circle (actually an…
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Northern Atlantic Coast
Next to the Grand Mosque's magnificent entrance gate, this medersa (school for studying the Quran) is a showcase of Merinid architecture and decorative…
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Safi
Safi's walled medieval medina is sliced in two by Rue du Souq, which runs northeast from Bab Lamaasa to Bab Chaaba and is lined with shops. On the…
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Rabat
Rabat's must-see sight – along with the neighbouring mausoleum – this iconic tower looms 44m above the Bou Regreg estuary. It was originally part of an…
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Casablanca
Built in the 1930s, the Quartier Habous, or Nouvelle Medina (New Medina), was built by the French to solve a housing crisis as the population outgrew the…
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Larache
Larache has a small rubbish-strewn strip of sand below the town, but the best beach is across the Loukos Estuary, an 11km drive from the town centre. In…
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Essaouira
Turn left outside the Bab Doukkala and around 15 minutes later you’ll reach the industrial quarter’s abandoned warehouses. Take a left past salvaged…
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Zawiya of Sidi Abdallah Ben Hassoun
Northern Atlantic Coast
Salé's patron saint, Sidi Abdallah Ibn Hassoun, was a 16th-century Sufi cleric and teacher. He's revered by Moroccan Muslims as a patron of travellers in…
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Asilah
This palace was built in 1909 by Er Raissouli the pirate and stands as a testament to the sumptuous life he led at the height of his power. Beautifully…
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Essaouira
The Sunday market at Had Draa, 30km from Essaouira, is the largest in the region, where animals and produce have been traded for centuries. Early risers…
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Asilah
The wide sweep of Rada Beach – also known as Mounir Beach after the beach’s well-known cafe owner – is 22km from Asilah (7km of it down a dirt road) and…
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Rabat
The most dramatic entry to the kasbah is through the enormous Almohad gate of Bab Oudaia, built in 1195. Its location, facing the heart of the city and…
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Casablanca
Dating from 1930, this blindingly white, Roman Catholic church sits on the edge of Parc de la Ligue Arabe. An extraordinary architectural mix of art deco,…
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Rabat
The clean, sandy strip of beach, around 25km north of Rabat, gets some serious wave action that's good for surfers, but the currents can be dangerous for…
