Tourism is booming in Morocco! Last year, for the first time, the country surpassed Egypt as Africa’s top tourist destination. I’m glad that Jay & I could experience Morocco together before it becomes even more popular. 

We did a 9-day tour, starting in Tangier and ending in Marrakesh. We arrived in Tangier via the 1-hour ferry ride from Tarifa, Spain. 

We did a number of hikes in Morocco and the first one was to the top of Gite Monte Blanco in the Rif Mountains.

No views at the summit due to the weather; however, we did have some nice views hiking through the valley below. 

We spent our second night in Tétouan, which is not a place frequented by tourists, so we experienced Ramadan in full swing. Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, prayer, and reflection for Muslims. From dawn to sunset, people refrain from eating and drinking (not even water!). At sunset, they break their fast. It was Ramadan during our entire time in Morocco. I was impressed by how energetic & friendly our Moroccan guides were despite not being able to eat or drink all day.

After Tétouan, we spent two nights in Chefchaouen (pronounced “shef-sha-wen”), a stunning town in the Rif Mountains. It’s called “The Blue City” because of its iconic blue-painted streets and buildings.

While in Chefchaouen, we did a hike in the Rif Mountains on the outskirts of town, to a local family’s house. They showed us how to make goat cheese (starting from milking the goat) and served us delicious tagine (a traditional Moroccan dish).

From Chefchaouen, we did a day trip to hike Oued ElKannar, a canyon with turquoise pools and waterfalls. Unfortunately for us, recent rains had flooded the area and we weren’t able to do much of the hike. The little we saw before having to turn around was quite beautiful. 

Our next destination was Fez, my favorite of Morocco’s imperial cities. We had a jammed packed day. 

After Fez, we traveled to Khenifra National Park and hiked to Aguelmame Aziza, a beautiful lake in the Atlas Mountains.

That night, we had a delicious dinner at our hotel which started off with this impressive platter of Moroccan salads.

The next day, we had a long day of driving. We did a short hike along the river that runs alongside the magnificent Imsfrane Cathedral (rock formation that looks like a cathedral).

We finished the day in Bin El-Ouidane, where we would spend two nights.

The next day, we went for a hike around the lake.

After Bin El-Ouidane, we headed to Marrakesh, our final destination in Morocco. On the way, we stopped at Ouzoud Falls.

In Marrakesh, we stayed in the old city at a riad, which is a traditional Moroccan house characterized by an interior garden or courtyard. Our riad had a rooftop terrace offering panoramic views of the city. It was the most luxurious place we stayed during our time in Morocco and provided a tranquil retreat from the hustle & bustle of the Medina. 

The Medina of Marrakesh is particularly chaotic as motorcycles & tuk tuk’s continually whiz by. 

That night, we went for dinner with Abdu, the guide from my previous trip to Morocco. So glad it worked out for us to see him. We decided that if we return to Morocco, we must hire Abdu to take us to the Sahara Desert (didn’t make it to the desert this trip).

Our last day in Morocco, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and coffee at the riad and then did some final sightseeing before heading to the airport.

Next up, Seville!