An Exotic Week in Morocco

Our location in Portugal is not only convenient for European travel, but we are also quite close to Northern Africa.  After hearing stories about Morocco from friends here, we decided to make the journey south to see some of the country for ourselves.

There are direct one-hour flights between our local airport in the Algarve and Morocco.  We decided to focus on Marrakech for this trip, with the idea that we could easily visit other parts of Morocco in later adventures.  

Marrakech

The fourth largest city in Morocco today, Marrakech is a former imperial city founded in 1070 A.D.  The ancient fortified city or Medina is densely packed, with mazelike alleys where souks (marketplaces) sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewelry.   Surprisingly, motorbikes with sometimes multiple riders travel through the Medina alleyways at breakneck speeds approaching 20 mph.  We soon learned to keep out of their way, and we were shocked that we saw no accidents during our time in the city.  

Our Riad

Upon arrival at the Marrakech airport, we were picked up and taken to our lodgings.  In the Medina, which is where we wanted to stay because that's where all the activity is, there are few hotels.  Instead, traditional homes have been restored and converted to guest houses or "riads," much like bed-and-breakfasts in the West.  All of the rooms on every floor look out onto a central atrium which usually has a pool or water feature on the ground floor.  The atrium provides light, air and cooling to the entire space.  

At our riad, a traditional greeting of mint tea

Walking City Tour

We took a half-day city tour of Marrakech to learn a bit about the city's history and to help us find our way around the Medina's labyrinth of alleyways.  Stops included the Medersa Ben Youssef (a key Islamic madrasa or college established in the 16th century), the Bahia Palace (a mid-19th century royal residence), and the Kutubiyya Mosque (the largest mosque in Marrakech founded in 1147). 

The courtyard of the Medersa Ben Youssef

Majorelle Garden

A highlight of Marrakech was Majorelle Garden.  It is a two-acre botanical and artist's landscape garden created by the French Orientalist artist Jacques Majorelle over almost forty years, starting in 1923.  In the 1980s, the property was purchased by the fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and his business manager Pierre Bergé who worked to restore it.   The Yves Saint-Laurent Museum is located nearby.  

Moroccan Food Tour

We also went on an evening tour which allowed us to sample some street food, as well as have a traditional Moroccan dinner.  On the walking portion of the tour, we sampled 8-9 different items, small bites that included prickly pear fruit, a tomato soup with sweet pastry, candied/spiced nuts (along with the treats pictured below).  We concluded the evening with a traditional dish of Marrakech, tangia (not to be confused with tangine), slow-cooked lamb or beef in a distinctive clay pot with vegetables.

Traditional Marrakech dish, Tangia

Trips Outside Marrakech

Our travel guide and organizer, Aziz, suggested that we spend a couple of nights in the coastal city of Essaouira and also take a day-trip to the Atlas Mountains.  The suggestions were excellent as they gave us a broader view of Morocco, quite different than the hectic city life in Marrakech.

Essaouira

The coastal city of Essaouira is about a three-hour drive due west from Marrakech.  It is a relatively new city, originally built in the late 1700s.  The vibe of the city is very relaxed, a nice change of pace from Marrakech.  Walking through the walled ancient quarters was relaxing, and locals and tourists took the time to enjoy the sunset over the sea.  

Argan Oil

On our three-hour drive between Marrakech and Essaouira, there was not much to see.  Scattered small towns and lots of arid Moroccan landscapes.   But locals have learned to cultivate a native plant, the argan tree, to provide valuable by-products and to produce jobs.

Argan trees are indigenous only to Morocco.  The oil is extracted from the seeds of the argan fruit, which are ground to create a paste similar to peanut butter.  The paste can be eaten directly as a bread dip, and the argan oil can be separated from the paste and used as a food product (similar to olive oil).  Argan oil has been found to have significant health benefits when consumed and when used topically on the skin.  Argan oil can be used in a variety of cosmetics, including face creams, shampoos, and moisturizers.  The oil is quite expensive as it takes about 80 lbs. of argan seeds to produce one quart of oil.  

The finished products

The Ourika Valley in the Atlas Mountains

Near the end of our trip, the weather finally cleared enough at the higher elevations that we were able to drive to the Atlas Mountains about a one-hour drive away from Marrakech.  The entire mountain range stretches around 1,600 miles through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, separating the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.  In 2023, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit this area of the Atlas Mountains, causing widespread damage and destruction.  

The Atlas Mountains

We visited an area called the Ourika Valley.  Our first stop was at a local Berber village house.  The Berbers are the aboriginal natives of Morocco.  We toured the house of a large family and had tea and snacks.  

We traveled a little further up the valley to the town of Sti Fadma.  It was a rest stop where we took an hour hike up to the Cascades Ourika (waterfall) and had lunch next to the rushing Ourika River.  

The winter had been very wet in Morocco, so there was much run off from the snow in the higher Atlas Mountains into the Ourika River.

Berber Rugs

On the drive back to Marrakech, we stopped at a local seller of Berber rugs.  Each rug is hand-woven by a single Berber woman, who creates the designs out of her own imagination.  A single rug can take 2-3 months to weave.  We weren't really planning to buy a rug, but we were captivated by the colors and designs.  After a bit of haggling, we came back with a memorable souvenir.

Foods of Morocco

During this trip, we were able to experience many of the unique flavors of Morocco.  One evening, we went to a cooking class in Marrakech.  We made two different tangines, some vegetable starters, and a traditional dessert.

We also dined in several restaurants, including one with live entertainment.  Being a Muslim country, most restaurants in Morocco do not serve alcohol.  But we were able to find several that did!

Entertainment at Restaurant Dar Marjana

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We enjoyed our fantastic week in Morocco and are looking forward to a future visit to Casablanca, Fez, Chefchaouen (the blue city), and the Sahara Desert.  Our friend and guide Aziz (who even invited us to his home on Eid, the end of Ramadan) will be there to take us!

With Aziz, the best Moroccan tour guide

Ryder likes his new rug!