I had the incredible opportunity to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco from 2018-2019, so I learned a lot about traveling the country. Learning the language, living in a small village, and going to many different places, I’ve gained some knowledge that might be helpful to anyone looking to visit.
I’ll be doing a series of posts because I have a lot to share! In this first post I’m going to share my top five favorite travel locations that I went to in Morocco. Unfortunately there was a lot to see and not enough time, so there’s many places I didn’t get to visit. But, I was able to go to some of the most iconic Moroccan destinations, and there’s many other wonderful places that aren’t on this list but I’ll be able to talk about in future blog posts.
Tangier
Tangier is on the northwest coast of Morocco. This makes it a destination with a beautiful beach and city life, being the port of entry for ferries from Spain. The beach is clean and the city is very walkable. It is a more modern Moroccan city, compared to the old médina in Fes, for example. The street food was one of my favorite parts, as you could buy fruit, milwii (fried bread), cookies, and other treats to enjoy as you’re out walking. Of course the highlight of my visit was riding camels on the beach!
Bab Boudir
This is an off-the-beaten-path destination in the Taza region that a fellow Peace Corps volunteer discovered with the help of locals in his town. Navigating there can be tricky, but if you have some French or Arabic language skills and feel adventurous, the visit is so worth it! You have to take multiple taxis to get to the small town at the foot of the mountain, and then there is a decently well marked trail to the top. The waterfall trail is on the road to the mountain and can be difficult to find, but your taxi driver might know where to go. Either way, I had to include this destination in my top 5!
Fes
Fes is the city I frequented the most, living only an hour away. The city is known for its old médina full of beautiful artisan stores, mosques, and places to eat. Of course, the top attractions in Fes include the "Baab Azraq", or "the blue gate" and the leather tannery. In my many times in Fes I learned how to avoid some common tourist traps that I’ll talk about in a later post. It can be overwhelming to navigate, but the people are generally very nice and there are always other tourists around, so you’re safe to blend in with the crowd in this city!
Azrou
The reason I loved Azrou is because of the wild monkeys! You can take a taxi from the center of town to the forest where monkeys live, and they roam around freely. I know someone who even got slapped by a monkey on a tree above his head! There are people there trying to sell peanuts to feed them and also horse rides, but that is completely optional. We also took a hike through the forest with a local guide who was our teacher, so good luck finding it on your own, but just know that it’s there.
Marrakesh
Marrakesh is another very common travel location, and it did feel very touristy at times. You really have to be cautious in this city because of the volume of people. However, it is beautiful, the old medina is fun to explore, and there are some cool places to go. I spent a long day with friends making our way through the shopping in the medina and figured out where to find local prices. We also went to some cool museums and a spa, all of which I’ll dive deeper into in a future blog post.
Bonus- my honest opinion of places I wouldn’t go back to
Chefchaouen
I had very high hopes from what I’d heard about the iconic blue city, and I did enjoy the view at the mountain overlook which made the trip worth it. I’d say it's good for a visit just while passing through, not a longer stay. Unfortunately, the town just felt like a tourist trap (which, in all fairness, it is). I felt like for being such a common tourist destination, the city was far too complicated to navigate, and the shopkeepers weren't the most welcoming to tourists.
Ifrane
Ifrane is considered the “Switzerland of Morocco,” which it truly is. It’s the only place where you’ll find sloped roofs because of the amount of snow it gets, and when you enter the town it does feel like you’re transported. This wasn’t for me, because I love Moroccan culture and architecture for how unique it is. There were tons of tourists there taking pictures with people dressed as characters like Mickey Mouse, which really rounded out the feeling that we weren’t in Morocco anymore. Maybe it’s for some people, but it wasn’t for me.
I’d like to add that there are so many more wonderful places I visited in Morocco, but not places I’d recommend tourists visit. These are the small towns myself and my friends lived in, where we got to live with host families, work in the community, and experience everyday life for the average people. For that reason, I won’t be sharing information about those places, because it wouldn’t make sense to visit. And unless you have language skills in Arabic or French, or you are with a highly trusted guide, I wouldn’t suggest going outside of major tourist cities.
So there you have it, my favorite tourist destinations in Morocco! Be sure to check back next week to learn more about visiting the beautiful country, in which I'll talk more in-depth about several locations, discuss culture and language, and more.
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