At the end of September 2015 we spent one week in Morocco. Our itinerary turned out to be rather untypical: Instead of going to the desert, we decided to go trekking in the Atlas region and expirienced one of the very best treks of our lives. After that we enjoyed the vibe of the surfer’s mecca Essaouira.
In this post we summarize good memories, some practical information and our itinerary with a focus on the trek as inspiration for one week in Morocco.
Our itinerary at a glance
Day 1 (26.09.): Arriving
We flew into Marrakech airport at night. It took 10 minutes by cab to get to the edges of the medina (old town) of Marrakesh. Cars can not pass here since the alleys are too narrow. It was dark and our accommodation was somewhere in the alleys of the medina. So we found ourselves in a situation. Friends explained to us before departure: to find the way you have to ask the local kids hanging out often around the parking lots where the tourists arrive. They help you finding your way for a little fee. Two boys (15~20 years old) offered their service as guides and led us for two minutes through the narrow streets until we found ourselves in front of a small door in a narrow dark sidestreet. We definitely would not have found it we thought and gave them about Euros after exchange rate for their service. Unfortunately they wanted more. I thought that’s already too much since the cab driver did not ask for much more for the entire cab journey. The guys were getting louder and the situation was getting seriously uncomfortable, since at midnight there were literally no people in the side alleys and the two guys were getting angry. Suddenly the little door opened. Luckily it was the innkeeper of the accommodation we booked. We ran through the door while the innkeeper blocked the two from following us. Later he explained that the boys were making a big show to get more money but for the extreme penalties would not dare to touch a tourist.
After having a welcome tea we checked into our room and fell asleep right away.
Day 2: Medina of Marrakech
The next morning we realized where we were staying. Our riad Dar Limoun Amara has been recommended by friends as a not too expensive but great place to stay .
It was amazing since from the street one could see just a huge fassade without windows but from within it was a nice little atrium, with a small garden-like area in the middle, all the rooms in the four story building were facing the center in open air. I believe there was no window to the outside of the riad. Very interesting and cozy approach to a building. It was quiet, had a beautiful rooftop terrace with chirping birds and it was still central.
After breakfast we walked further towards the centre of the medina through the now very busy streets. With people walking in all directions and scooters rushing through the narrow streets in between one could hardly walk next to each other. Still the Jemaa El Fna (main market place) and the oriental souks (markets) were worth it. Here one could shop for all kind of souvenirs, be it leather goods, wood crafts, oriental lamps, carpets, spices or leather products, just to name some.
During the heat of the noon we took a little break from the busy medina in our cozy riad and checked some of the main sights of Marrakech later.
In the evening we went back to Jemaa El fna which is a real highlight after dusk and a must see. You will definitely get entertained and end up trying something tasty.
Day 3-5: Trekking in Morocco, from Imlil to Setti Fatma
Marrakesh is great to see but a bit to busy for us and we decided not to spend a second day here. Instead we read about a three day trek in the Atlas mountains near Imlil. Imlil is also the starting point for trekking up to the summit of Mount Toubkal (with 4.167 m highest in the Atlas). We decided not to go up but to walk on a more pleasant altitude through the villages from Imlil to Setti Fatma.
To get to Imlil from Marrakech we shared a cab with other travelers. The 90 minutes ride was not expensive at all if you share. In Imlil was a little “trekking” office where we asked for orientation.
The trek route:
First day: Starting in Imlil and trekking four hours to a village called Tacheddirt.
The second day would lead us through more Berber villages to Timichi (7 hours).
And the third and last day of the trek would take another four hours until Setti Fatma. The waterfalls here are a popular day tour attraction from Marrakech meaning that there was a proper infrastructure to get back to Marrakech.
Our personal experience:
As soon as we departed from Imlil it started raining. We had some tea breaks but the rain did not stop so we carried on in the rain. When we finally arrived in a Berber gite in Tacheddirt everything was wet. We were not prepared for such weather conditions. Unfortunately we could not dry all of our clothes either since the gite ran out of firewood pretty fast. That evening I (Alex) was so cold that I had to throw up. I did not know that was possible. Now I do. If you go to the Atlas mountains take waterproof jackets!
The second day the whether was better and I (Alex) felt great again. It took some time to find the right way and the Tizi pass, which we had to cross. After the pass the whether turned from cloudy to super sunny. With sunshine we could enjoy the little villages and the vivid colors of this scenery. We met friendly locals and enjoyed some wild walnuts on the way to Timichi.
The host of the gite explained that he regularly hosts people from all around the world in a 105 km marathon passing this village. This day however we were the only guests in his gite and maybe the only tourists in the village.
If you decide to trek here make sure it’s not the same time as this mountain marathon. In this case accommodation would be an issue. Check here.
The third and last day was super pleasant: We walked through a green valley with more Berber villages and a little stream in the middle. After four hours of easy walking we could see Setti Fatma.
During the three days trek we met one other tourist couple heading in the opposite direction and a family in a Berber gite where we spent the first night. That was it – no other tourists, just locals. The trek gave a super authentic Berber experience with very simple accomodation: in the two gites we stayed in our rooms were just mattresses on the floor. We payed around 2-3 EUR/night, including breakfast.
It cannot get much more basic and we loved it.
When we reached Setti Fatma it was like on another planet: Crowded with tourists, all the seclusion of the Berber villages felt far away. We jumped in a cab that we again shared with locals and got back to Marrakech.
We had three more days until the flight back and decided to go to the coast. Our choice was Essaouira. The local bus would arrive in the middle of the night and we had no accommodation planned. In order to avoid a second Marrakech “night boys” experience we shared again a cab (with a French Edith Piaf impersonator) to Essaouira.
The cab arrived in Essaouira just before dusk and after some asking and calls we managed to find a nice riad in the medina.
The room was more than beautiful and yet it took our relationship to the next level: the bedroom and the bathroom were in one room, separated by a one meter high wall and a cowboy saloon door in between. I literally could see the bed when sitting down on the toilet. And the view worked both ways. Unusual!
Day 6-7: Essaouira
Situated at the ocean, Essaouira is also known as the City of Winds. Outside the protecting walls of the large medina one can tell why it is a popular spot for windsurfers.
It had a wide beach and a young and very relaxed scene combining nice little backpackers cafes with the authentic oriental streets of the medina.
We walked on the city walls and explored the medina; shopped for souvenirs; checked out the busy harbour area and tried to catch the perfect shot of the medina with hundreds of seagulls circling us on the fort Skala du Port.
We also left the Medina to explore Diabat, a village nearby. Apparently Jimi Hendrix once visited here. The walk along the road took us one hour to walk along. The walk back along the beach was longer but way better with sand dunes, abandoned ruins and a large rock right at the beach that later turned out to be a fort that did not last.
Essaouira was a really chill place combining both oriental flair and the easy going surfing/ backpacker culture.
Day 8: Leaving
We got up early. A private bus company was operating a shuttle from Essaouira to the airport of Marrakech. Without any hassles or delays we reached the airport and got on the plane.
That was it, our first Marocco experience.
What’s else to mention:
Britt did not need to cover her hair in the places we visited. The people were super friendly apart of the first day experience.
We did not drink alcohol. It was not sold in most restaurants, just in some hotels. If you speak French you can talk to almost everyone here. Most people living from tourism will also understand English – since it is not only French who come to see Morocco. Don’t forget to bargain and to count the change.
The costs were rather low this time due to the cheap transportation, the three days trek with almost no expenses and the reasonable food prices. Also with the two riads we had good deals but those were actually the largest cost drivers. I believe the riads are worth booking upfront.
Souvenirs from Marocco
Thanks to cost savings we could afford some pretty awesome Morocco souvenirs on the last day:
- Our own tagine pot. A tagine is the dish you should not miss! It is cooked in a red clay pot. If you buy one of these pots for home, make sure you get one with a metal ring around it.
- A backgammon board game handcrafted;
- a black tea mix;
- menthol crystals (I did not know it exists but it does and it is awesome, ask for it and do not worry. It is not a drug);
- amber block. I liked the smell and I put it into my closet so that my clothes smell like it.
- wooden snake in a box that jumps out when you try to open the box.
- Oriental lamps.
I also looked into leather goods but hesitated due to the strong smell.
Should you go to Morocco:
Now that I write about the holiday it was definitely more memorable than many others.
We have not traveled much in arabic countries. This made the experience intense and very special. We had a full package of this world in Marrakech, which was great. We were on a remote trek through Berber villages and towards the end we had some chill days at the ocean in Essaouira. We missed out on the desert and some other towns that we looked into upfront because of the limited time. We will definitely come back and you should go too.