Fantastic Places to Visit in Morocco
City of Safi Morocco
Fantastic Places to Visit in Morocco: Safi, located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, is one of Morocco’s earliest cities. Since its foundation, its port has been closely linked to its history. Today, it remains one of the most important in Morocco. Safi boasts a rich architectural heritage, the result of the three monotheistic religions that took part in its existence, and the need to protect the city. Cathedrals, synagogues, minarets and the great central mosque stand side by side with forts, palaces and fortresses. Safi is traditionally open to the outside world, to trade and industry. A major industrial complex has been built here.
Safi is the closest beach to Marrakech, easily accessible from central Morocco. Here, you can enjoy the pleasures of surfing, with waves over 100 meters long. You can also go windsurfing. Safi benefits from an oceanic climate, which is temperate even in summer.
Safi is still little-known on the main tourist circuits, and those who return praise its unspoilt simplicity, its fish restaurants, its narrow streets, the medina and the view from the Safalaise. The hill of the potters will also hold your attention. Established in Safi since the 12th century, the pottery industry grew stronger in the 19th century, to the point that a school was set up here, which continues to perpetuate this activity to this day.
The traces of its history that you can discover are omnipresent. The Portuguese cathedral is the first Gothic building in Africa. The Portuguese fort, dating from the 16th century, is virtually built on water.
Fantastic Places to Visit in Morocco
The former residence of the Alawite sultans, Dar Sultane, served to protect the city thanks to its position: today, its roof offers a splendid panorama of the city. The residence is now home to the National Ceramics Museum. You’ll be amazed by the tagine planted right in the center of town: it’s the biggest tagine in the world! Other Safi monuments await your visit.
Safi’s origins date back to the 12th century BC, when the Tyrians established a trading post here. Later, the Carthaginians set up a base camp to look for points to found colonies. Roman coins found in some of the foundations attest to the Roman presence that must have settled here after the weakening of Carthage. This was followed by the Christian influence of Augustine, a Jewish presence, the passage of the Goths, the great Arab nomads and the Muslim conquerors. One of Islam‘s first mosques was created and still exists near Chemaia.
As the port of the city of Marrakech, Safi had direct links with Andalusia. At the end of the 15th century, the city of Safi became Portuguese, but its reconquest by the Saadians in the 16th century did not interrupt trade with Europe; on the contrary, it intensified it. In the 19th century, the town began to decline, but since 1920 it has been gradually extended. Today, with its port and, above all, its industries still expanding, the city of 300,000 inhabitants and 3,000 years of history has not yet completed its renaissance.
City of Rabat Morocco
Fantastic Places to Visit in Morocco: Bordered by a dozen sumptuous beaches and enjoying a mild winter, Rabat, the capital of Morocco, is refreshed in summer by the breeze from the Atlantic Ocean. Quiet and charming, it lies on the magnificent site of the mouth of the Bou Regreg river. Rabat is a city where outings and walks are a permanent invitation, all year round.
The climate itself offers a sense of well-being: annual sunshine averages over eight hours a day, with an average annual temperature of 17°C. In summer, Rabat is cooled by the breeze from the Atlantic Ocean, with the thermometer reading an average of 24°C. In winter, the climate is really mild, with an average of 12°C, and it never gets cold during the day.
Taste the romanticism of the flower-lined alleys of the Chellah necropolis, a collection of relics where storks and lush vegetation come together, or enter the timeless world of the Andalusian-style lanes and gardens of the Oudaïa kasbah. Or, depending on your mood, head for the authentic heart of the city, the medina, with its stalls and souks that open onto the modern city that pulsates around Avenue Mohamed V.
The city of Rabat is lightened by a number of green spaces and wide avenues planted with trees, making for a very pleasant visit.
Fantastic Places to Visit in Morocco
The Royal Golf Club, one of the largest and most prestigious in the world, and the many sporting activities available all year round in Rabat, don’t forget Megamall, Africa’s largest shopping mall!
But make no mistake. Genuine Rabat is the capital of Morocco, home to the sumptuous royal palace, government offices, embassies, consulates, libraries, museums and art galleries. Surrounded by magnificent, perfectly preserved ramparts, the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco boasts an important architectural heritage and is home to several museums (archaeology, crafts). It is home to Mohammed V University (1957) and several cultural and educational institutes.
Rabat is a diverse, multi-faceted city, bathed all year round by its exceptional sunshine, offering tradition and modernity, romance and activity, its cultural richness blending history and the contemporary, in a calm setting with an ideal climate.
City of Meknes Morocco
Meknes, listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998, is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco, of which it was the capital for a long period. Meknes comprises a new town and an old city separated by the Oued Boufekrane. The Alaouite sultan Moulay Ismaïl left a deep imprint on the city in the late 17th century, building sumptuous palaces, mosques, monumental gates, vast gardens and more. Meknes is imbued with a special charm that extends from its historic quarters to its terraces.
Moulay Ismaïl had 25 kilometers of walls and ramparts built around the city. Discover them by taking one of the many horse-drawn carriages waiting for you. A great admirer of Louis XIV, Moulay Ismaïl also embarked on the construction of a vast and refined palace, unfortunately closed to the public. You can, however, visit his mausoleum, where a surprise awaits you! Four Franc-Comtois clocks sit beside the tombs, a gift from Louis XIV to appease the sultana after he refused his daughter’s hand in marriage.
The monuments of Meknes, all different and original, are nevertheless homogeneous in their design. Meknes is also known as the capital of beautiful gates, which have been the focus of much attention. Step through them to discover a palace, a district, or the whole city. You’ll discover the history and origins of the city, and the monuments built after the 17th century by the Alaouite dynasty, who never ceased to be king-builders. Don’t miss the magnificent Kasbah of Meknes.
The new town is criss-crossed by wide avenues, giving you an excellent view of the entire imperial city, its ramparts, its many minarets and its medina, which you can easily reach. Meknes attracts many tourists seeking tranquillity and an insight into Moroccan culture.
City of Chefchaouen Morocco
In the Rif massif of northern Morocco, at the foot of the rocky peaks or jebels Kelaa and Meggou, Chefchaouen is the capital of the province bordering the Mediterranean that bears its name. A mountainous region with a Mediterranean climate, rainy and cold in winter, mild and dry in summer, the province offers a wide range of tourist attractions from its 120 kilometers of beaches to its vast forests and mountainous areas. The town, 600 meters above sea level, was founded in 1471. It reflects the Arab-Andalusian architecture often found in northern Morocco, giving it a charming character.
Chefchaouen is a simple, pleasant town to visit, surrounded by ancient ramparts. You can enter through one of its seven beautiful gates. You’ll love discovering its steep streets paved with polished pebbles, its white or azure-blue houses with blue shutters and ochre tiles and their wrought-iron gates. Explore the narrow, vaulted passages that rise and fall, and take the staircases that line the town. Chefchaouen is a mountain town! Climb up to the square where you’ll find the kasbah and the Jamaa El-Kebir mosque with its octagonal minaret. On Place Outa Hammam you’ll find cafés and stalls serving kebabs. Don’t miss the Kasaba ethnographic museum and the Andalusian Studies and Research Center, where you can learn about the history of the country and its peoples.
Don’t leave town without visiting the magnificent Ras El Maa spring 3 km from the city, the Talassemtane forest, the Cherafat waterfalls and mosque, the Toughoubit cave and the Pont de Dieu at Akchour. Further afield, you can relax on one of the many Mediterranean beaches.
City of Fez Morocco
Fantastic Places to Visit in Morocco: A thousand-year-old city in northern Morocco, Fez is the country’s oldest imperial city and a cultural and traditional center. The architecture and furnishings you’ll discover reveal the city’s entire history. The art and knowledge accumulated in the city over the centuries can be seen in the finest museums in Morocco, which have naturally made their home here. The city’s architectural, historical and intellectual heritage attracts many visitors every year.
Unesco has made no mistake in declaring the city a World Heritage Site. Discover the palaces that stand side by side to offer you their finest objects: chiseled bronzes, carved woodwork, polychrome zelliges, moucharabiehs, columns and sculpted plasterwork.
The spiritual and cultural center of Morocco, Fez offers you the chance to discover its many facets, all united in a unique personality.
Don’t hesitate to let yourself be enchanted by the Medina, set in a veritable labyrinth of narrow streets and cul-de-sacs, a lively, colorful world where merchants, their customers, passers-by and the donkeys carrying their wares rub shoulders. The heart of the city, a reflection of its commercial tradition and a testimony to the many oriental, Andalusian and Arab communities that have settled here, it has been a Unesco World Heritage site since 1976. It benefits from the cultural diversity and influence of these communities, who brought their art and knowledge with them. Its 9,500 lanes are dotted with monuments and historic sites.
Fantastic Places to Visit in Morocco
Since its foundation in 789, Fès has been the capital of Morocco. It lost this title to Marrakech in 1069, but regained it during its heyday in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Qaraouiyne University, the world “s first and most famous institution of higher learning, bears witness to the city ”s influence, supported by the thousands of students who attend it today.
Ideally located on the trade routes linking the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, Fez is a major center of commerce and industry. Textiles, flour mills, oil refineries, tanneries and soap factories have all found a prime location here. In the field of craftsmanship, the fez, the famous rimless cylindrical felt hat, owes its name to the city.
City of Casablanca Morocco
Bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, Casablanca is a beautiful city with a rich heritage. It is also Morocco’s leading port, industrial hub and financial center. Home to 10% of the country’s population, it is its economic and commercial capital.
It won’t take you long to grasp all the harmoniously blended contrasts of this small town that has grown so much, through its extraordinary collection of places, buildings, streets and gardens. A small port inhabited in turn by Berbers, Almoravids and Almohads, it became a city in the 15th century. From 25,000 inhabitants in 1907 to 3.5 million today, the city’s population has grown 140-fold in the space of a century! Casablanca’s urban development is a superb blend of modern and traditional architecture in keeping with Moroccan culture.
If you want to marvel at human genius, visit the Hassan II Mosque. Erected on the water, it impresses with the immoderation of its proportions and the finesse of its execution. The world’s tallest minaret stands here, built of marble stone and reaching a height of 210 meters.
Fantastic Places to Visit in Morocco
On Place Mohammed V, a model that combines contemporary and traditional influences, you’ll see the wilaya and its Tuscan-inspired campanile, the Arabo-Andalusian-inspired Palais de Justice and other equally prestigious buildings that we’ll let you discover! This square is the heart of the modern city.
Casablanca is a city of contrasts, and we’re happy to admit it. You can stroll through the old Bab Marrakech medina, the central market and the large flea market, Derb Ghallef, the Habbous or “new medina” district, famous for its handicraft stores, but also marvel at the largest Marocet shopping center in the Maghreb: the Twin Center Casablanca! Two 115-metre-high twin towers house some 130 stores on 3 levels.
To the west, stroll along the Anfa hill overlooking the Corniche, with its lush green alleys and flower gardens and grand villas.
Then relax on the boulevard de la Corniche, which lives in intimacy with the Atlantic. It’s a long, pleasant avenue with cafés, restaurants, luxury hotels and ice-cream parlors, as well as leisure centers, shows, discotheques and cinemas.
Beni Mellal Morocco
In central Morocco, at the foot of Mount Tassemit, Beni Mellal, a town of 170,000 inhabitants, is located on the road between Fez and Marrakech. The climate is continental, with cool winters and hot summers. This climate enables the cultivation of many fruits and vegetables, making Beni Mellal an agricultural city. Rich in mountains and valleys, the region is an ideal destination for nature lovers and adventure tourists.
Beni Mellal is a historic city, with its Kasbah Bel Koush built in the 17th century and restored in the 19th. The walls, of which only part remains, were built in 1688. In the Soumaa district, you’ll find a minaret dating from the same period. Don’t hesitate to climb the mountain to see Ain Asserdoun and its small waterfalls. Above, you can visit Borj Ain, a small fortress with views over Beni Mellal, olive and orange orchards stretching to the horizon, and the Tadla valley.
Continue your tour, and after the small town of Ain Asserdoun you’ll pass through the magnificent tourist sites of Taghbalout, Aïn Aïcha and Aïn Ghazi.
Don’t miss Morocco’s largest dam, Bin el Ouidane, which has helped to develop crops in the region, as well as supplying electricity to a large part of central Morocco. You can get a panoramic view of the dam and its 3735-hectare lake from Ouled M’Barek, which you can reach from Beni Mellal.
Many other excursions are possible. The Ouzoud waterfalls, together with the mountain that serves as their backdrop, form one of the most beautiful sites in Morocco. At Ouaouizeght, you can admire the Tilouguite rocks. Numerous caves and chasms will delight potholers. From Anergui, you’ll discover traditional houses perched high in the Koucer gorges.
City of Oujda Morocco
Located 14 km from the Algerian border and 60 km from the Mediterranean, Oujda is the administrative capital of eastern Morocco, strategically situated at the crossroads of two major traffic routes. It lies on the road linking Morocco to the rest of the Maghreb and on the road linking the center of the country with Europe. With its 600,000 inhabitants, it is the 5th largest city in Morocco, after Casablanca, Rabat, Fez and Marrakech.
Although Oujda doesn’t have a major tourist infrastructure, you can still visit its medina, admire its gates, parks, museums and monuments. From Oujda, you can head for the mountains, the sea or the desert.
Oujda’s medina is home to some remarkable historical monuments. Near its main gate Bab Sidi Abdelouahab to the west, you’ll find mosques, palaces, parks, synagogues and the Thursday market. It’s famous for being the place where the Maghzen used to hang the severed heads of rebels, hence the name “Gate of the Heads”.
Fantastic Places to Visit in Morocco
400 meters from this gate, you’ll find the Dar Sebti palace, built in the 20th century by a wealthy merchant. It faces the shady Lalla Meryem Museum, frequented by Oujdis in search of calm and freshness. The oldest monument in the Medina is the Al Kabir Mosque, with its three fountains. Don’t miss the jewel in the crown of the medina, accessed via a very narrow street in some places, the Médersa mérinide, built in 1335.
In the 19th century, the medina was surrounded by a belt of walled gardens pierced by numerous holes, constituting a definite means of defense. This was reinforced by the construction of an adobe wall 6 to 7 meters high, forming an additional enclosure pierced by two gates.
Around Oujda, 6 km away, you can see the mausoleum of the city’s patron saint at Sidi Yahya Younes beach, a place of religious pilgrimage and relaxation. A little further on, you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of the Algerian mountains on the Touissite road, 25 km from Oujda. Other destinations are within easy reach, such as Cap de l’Eau, where you’ll find large beaches and cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean.