Five ideas for a guided visit of Morocco

• Chefchaouen

  Chefchaouen is a blue paradise, situated at the North-West of Morocco, about 100 kilometers from Tangier. This small town includes a stunning Medina, made of little and calm alleyways with painted white walls, and vibrant blue houses. You begin the visit with the beautiful square of Uta El-Hammam, near de Kasbah and the mosque: heart of the town, this is where people like to meet up and have a drink. Shefshaouen is surrounded by mountains. You can easily go on a charming hike by starting with the little water source of Ras-El-Ma, where women still go to wash their laundry. Then, you can slowly go up through the trails filled with the smell of the many fig trees. From the top of this hike, you will have a panoramic view of the whole Rif. You will then quickly arrive back to town to appreciate the calm and everlasting sweetness of life.

• Ksar Ait Ben Haddou

  Ksar Ait Ben Haddou is a small town in the South of Morocco, situated 180 kilometers from Marrakesh and 30 kilometers from the center of Ouarzazate. It presents the particular architecture of a fortified city that is called Ksar, which consists of groups of residences and buildings made of terracotta bricks, giving it ochre hues, and surrounded by ramparts. The village was built on the top of a hill, in the middle of the beautiful valley of Assif Ounila, filled with date palm trees and mozaic like fields of a rare green. As the light of the sun reflects on the fortifications, they give off a majestic allure: it is not a surprise if the location has been used many times as a movie set. The Ait-ben-Haddou palace, going back to the 17 th century where once lived over a 100 families, still houses many installations, such as the ancient mosque and the main shop where they would stock grain.

• Fez

  Fez is located in the North of Morocco, about 180 kilometers from Rabat. It is the second largest town of Morocco. It is divided in three distinct parts: the new neighbourhoods, built by the French, the royal enclosure, and of course, the Medina of Fez, or the ancient town, which is the biggest in the world, also known as Fez el Bali. It is a genuine labyrinth, where you will undoubtedly lose yourself – but then again, it is what makes the charm of the place. Simply beware of those who want to offer their help to take you from one shop to another, because they are “so beautiful and interesting”. A moroccan private guide will know how to prevent you from encountering these kinds of situations. This Medina is not only a gigantic souk for tourists, it is more importantly the culminating point where the population constantly goes back and forth. The historical heart of Fez was built at the very end of the 8 th century, and its appearance has stayed practically unaltered. You can find traditional bread ovens, hammams, and a great variety of artisan shops of all kinds. Visit the vast Chouara tannery Chouara, the Qur’an schools, known as madrasa, or the old mosques such as Al Quaraouine, which also serves as a university. Indeed, it opened in 877, making it the oldest active university. Outside of the Medina, Fez hides an infinite number of treasures, such as its magnificent palaces, occasionally transformed in Ryads, where you can stay. The Jnan Sbil gardens, a true lush greenery, offers a great break to gather back your strength, before stopping on the hill of El Qolla which houses the ruins of the Marinid tombs, and offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the city.

• The valley of Dades

  On a road where the landscape goes from luscious green oasis, orchard plantations to red-tinted mountains, will then appear the Dades gorges, 120 kilometers from Ouarzazate. Indeed, it is a great Canyon, which the depth can reach 300 meters at certain points, where visitors come to enjoy a nice trek – or, for the more athletic ones, some rafting or even rock climbing. You can start your journey in Boulemane. About 30 kilometers from there, you can visit the small village of Aït Arbi, where you will discover curious rocky peaks, called “monkey paws”. From there, you will be able to follow the Wadi Dades through a winding road, revealing in the distance tinted rocks of white and red. You will pass through a great number of kasbahs (ancient citadels), such as the famous El Kabbaba, Amerhidi, Ben Moro, Dar Aïchil or Dar Aït, translating the feeling of great insecurity that once ruled the region. Four spectacular gorges will then follow each other, the highest being the Tissadrine Gorge. Staying on this breathtaking panoramic road, you will reach the end of your trip with the village of M’Semrir.

• The dunes of Erg Chebbi

  An erg is an expanse of dunes, constantly remodeled by the wind. The dunes of Merzouga, also called Erg Chebbi, are the most outstanding dunes of the Sahara, and probably the biggest. You can find them in the South-East of Morocco, not too far from the Algerian border. Engaging on a trek, accompanied by a tourist guide, on the dunes of Erg Chebbi is the best hiking experience you’ve ever dreamt of, and spending a few days there is simply charming. Here, you will be far from everything, cut off from the world, and with the endless dunes for only horizon, some of them going as high as 150 meters. The easiest way to get there is with a four wheeler, and it is by foot or on camelback that you will be able to climb the rest of the dunes. Spending the night in a camp will make you sense the calm of the desert, and witness the stunning sunrise brush against this endless and majestic expanse.