Morocco

Morocco lies on Africa’s north-western edge, between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, just across the Strait of Gibraltar from Europe. In Marrakech the UNESCO-listed medina gathers around Jemaa el-Fnaa square: souks, courtyard riads, the Menara, Agdal and Majorelle gardens, with the Palmeraie on the edge of town. Beyond the city rise the High Atlas, with Berber villages below Toubkal, the Ourika Valley and the stony Agafay Desert; further south lie the kasbahs of Ouarzazate and Aït Benhaddou and the Sahara dunes of Erg Chebbi.

Fes el-Bali, the old medina of Fes, also UNESCO-listed, keeps its madrasas and Chouara tanneries, with Meknes and Roman Volubilis close by. Casablanca pairs an Art Deco centre with an ocean corniche; Rabat has the Kasbah of the Udayas above its river mouth. On the Atlantic, life slows in Essaouira, the oyster-rich Oualidia lagoon, Larache and Asilah; in the Mediterranean north lie Tangier, Tétouan, blue-washed Chefchaouen and the beaches of Tamuda Bay.

Tagine, couscous, pastilla and mint tea, hammam rituals and crafts from carpets to tilework are part of the journey. Inland summers are hot, the coast stays milder, winter brings snow to the Atlas, and spring and autumn are usually the gentlest seasons. Morocco suits couples, families, lovers of culture, design and food, wellness seekers and adventurers drawn to the desert and the mountains.