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Home > Features > Morocco
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Andrew Eames's Morocco Report
Posted On
07.01.07 |
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There is a country I know which is decidedly exotic, and yet disarmingly close at hand. A country where the mountain people lead life as it is led in the Himalayas, while city dwellers promenade the boulevards as if they were in Paris.
This country has a fragrant cuisine and a climate which is hard to fault, in a landscape of snow-topped mountains, rolling olive groves, desert wastes, Roman ruins, vibrant cities and a huge seaboard lined with beaches.
I'm talking about Morocco, a destination for people who've seen a bit of Europe and feel ready to spread their wings for somewhere exotic but not too far away.
Most of these visitors head straight for Marrakesh, the charismatic city which sits at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, where the souq's narrow streets constitute an assault course for the senses. The focal point is the Jemaa El Fna, the famed central square, a theatre of tradition and superstition full of snakecharmers and toothpullers.
Marrakesh is a great place to start excursions up into the Atlas Mountains, where the last few years have seen the opening of both rustic and upmarket hotels. Alternatively, head south on a circuit of the other three Imperial cities - Rabat, Meknes and Fez.
Rabat, home of the current King, has the grand royal village at its heart, with an accompanying sense of importance.
Meknes, the capital back in the 17th century, boasts the hugely impressive remains of a giant kasbah built by King Moulay Ismail, using 30,000 slaves.
Fez is the most exotic of the three; its ancient Medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the world's largest medieval city, with 360 mosques and 10,000 tiny lanes.
Given all this holiday appeal, it is amazing that Morocco doesn't welcome many more tourists than it does. Historically, the problem has been one of limited access, but that's changing thanks to an explosion of low-cost airline routes. This, combined with six splendid new beach resorts currently in development, means we're all going to hear and see a great deal more of this north African state.
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Andrew Eames, Travel Writer
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