While it’s hard to ignore the natural beauty of the Atlas Mountains and sections of the sprawling Sahara desert, some of the best holidays in Morocco are to be found in its bustling cities and towns riddled with atmospheric alleys, snake-charmer squares and tiled riads.
The palm and parasol-fringed beaches of Agadir often draw in tourists to its coastal getaways, yet attention is also deserved in Morocco’s urban areas, which are infused with a blend of tradition, art, festivals and full-flavoured cuisine.
From the lively Marrakech medina to the medieval mosques of Fes and the Atlantic breeze-swept coastlines of Essaouira and Taghazout, there’s shopping, surfing and ancient crafts to be experienced.
As the country enters another sizzling season, here are six of the best holiday hotspots and where to stay – all less than a four-hour flight from the UK.
Best places to visit in Morocco
1. Marrakech
Best time to visit: Spring and autumn months, while temperatures are in the high 20s but not unbearably hot
Highlights: Best for foodies, luxury holidays, shopping
Marrakech is a vision of dusky terracotta buildings in the shadow of the towering Koutoubia Mosque and the Atlas Mountains. A web of alleys, riads and spice-scented souks lie inside the medina walls, and the vibrant atmosphere, which buzzes from dawn to dusk, doesn’t dull until you reach the palm grove oasis and luxury holiday resorts of Palmeraie to the north of the city. Enjoy a charcoal-cooked merguez sausage in the central square Jemaa el Fna, wander around the Bahia Palace, or immerse yourself in Moroccan history at the Maison de la Photographie, before relaxing with a sweet mint tea at one of the rooftop cafes or hidden gardens.
Where to stay
There’s a cool minimalism to Riad UP’s six relaxing rooms amid the medina’s splashes of colour. Complete with a patio, plunge pool and roof terrace studded with sun loungers, it’s an ideal spot to wrap up in a Berber blanket for nights spent overlooking the city.
Best time to visit: Spring and autumn months, while temperatures are in the high 20s but not unbearably hot
Highlights: Hammam breaks, shopping
Morocco’s second city is a blend of influences including Arabic, Moorish, Ottoman Turkish and French. From the Mediterranean flair of Fassi cuisine to steamy private hammams and craft workshops, including bookbinding and leather embossing, Fes fascinates with its modern edge to ancient ways of life. The city is home to the world’s largest medieval medina district – with 9,000 alleyways to meander, you’re bound to find a shop or souk to while away the hours.
Where to stay
Hillside on the edge of Ville Nouvelle, the contemporary Hotel Sahrai oozes luxury. Stays in neutral suites accented with stone and wood have access to an infinity pool overlooking the medina, a zen spa, and a French brasserie for seriously suave steak frites.
Read more: Meet the women blazing a trail through the majestic mountains of Morocco
3. Taghazout
Best time to visit: December to April is Taghazout’s high season, as winter weather makes for more reliable waves
Highlights: Surfing breaks
Surf-seekers are in for a treat if they follow the tide to Taghazout on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, just 20 minutes from the fly-and-flop resort city of Agadir. The fishing village in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains is blessed with powerful point breaks, staggering swells and barrel waves off a beachfront scattered with blue wooden fishing boats. Think surf-centric hostels within the tangle of pastel houses, Brit-run camps for lessons on the board, and communal meals with your wave comrades complete with authentic plates of tagine and paprika fish.
Where to stay
Dar Surf hostel hugs the swell-battered coastline of Taghazout Beach with a shared kitchen for refuelling after surf sessions and free wifi to document days on the waves. The surf camp offers rooftop yoga, home-cooked Moroccan meals, and beach bonfires for guests.
Read more: The lesser-known cities for a perfect winter sun holiday without the jet lag
4. Tangier
Best time to visit: Spring and autumn months, while temperatures are in the high 20s but not unbearably hot
Highlights: Best for foodies, cafe culture
Bohemian Tangier is much more than the gateway from Europe to Africa. Though times have changed since Tangier’s louche past lit up writers, hippies and musicians, the cafe culture and people-watching posts remain. With one of the most diverse populations in Morocco, the commercial port attracts domestic weekenders to the city’s fortified kasbah walls, Roman ruins and Sixties-style boutiques. Take your spot at a storied coffeehouse or the legendary Cafe Baba to see Tangier as the Beat writers, Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger did.
Where to stay
For authentic, spacious rooms, a sublime rooftop terrace and delectable breakfasts punctuated with mint tea, visit Riad Al-Qurtubi. Sat less than 2km from Tangier Beach, it is ideally situated for exploring the sands, museums and medinas of northwestern Morocco.
Read more: Morocco earthquake one year on – can tourism support recovery in the Atlas Mountains?
5. Casablanca
Best time to visit: If you are looking to visit in the summer months, Casablanca can be slightly cooler than other cities, with temperatures reaching the high 20s in June to August
Highlights: Shopping, cultural landmarks
Casablanca is Morocco’s largest city, with a Hollywood heritage, beginner-friendly waves, and bars built for nursing a cocktail. On its coast, Africa’s second-largest mosque, Hassan II Mosque, dominates the waterfront, and inland, the souks of Quartier Habous, stalls of the old medina and central market are mazes of international sweet treats, lamps, ceramics and spices. Keen to experience Casablanca as seen on screen? Head to Rick’s Cafe, inspired by the movie, for a jazzy gin cocktail at the roulette table.
Where to stay
Each of the 25 vibrant suites at Art Palace Suites & Spa is inspired by a celebrity or international icon, including Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin and Cleopatra. The hotel in Gauthier also has a spa pool in the basement and a tiled Moroccan hammam for a scrub-down.
Read more: Why North Africa is our destination top pick
6. Essaouira
Best time to visit: Essaouira stays cooler year-round thanks to its proximity to the Atlantic, but it gets particularly busy in the summer months as international and domestic tourists flee sweltering heat elsewhere
Highlights: Best for foodies, shopping, kitesurfing
On Morocco’s Atlantic coast, the windswept port city of Essaouira is a hotspot for kitesurfing, French fusion feasts, and walking the walls of the pocket-size medina. Look out for 18th-century ramparts and thuya wood carvings as you weave through the fragrant Unesco-listed grid of boutiques selling argan oil, carpets and leather. Stretch out on the sands of Essaouira Beach with a cup of à la menthe – a sugary mint cocktail – when taking a break from surfing the famed winds known in Berber as taros.
Where to stay
Blanketed in technicolour Moroccan zellige tiles, Salut Maroc is in the heart of the medina, with eccentric bedrooms, freestanding copper tubs and enviable views out to the ocean from the rooftop terrace.
How to save on your Morocco holiday
Try to book ahead of the high season, which tends to be from autumn to spring depending on the town or city that you’re visiting.
Before you book, don’t forget to check if it’s cheaper when booked as a flights and hotel package. For example, Tui currently has holidays to Morocco from £396 per person in Marrakech, Agadir and Taghazout.
Read more: Overland from Margate to Marrakech – an art-filled journey across France and Spain
