Distant oases, soaring mountains, spice-laden souks and ancient minarets piercing cornflower-blue skies: welcome to Morocco. Just a few hours' flight from the UK, Morocco is a fusion of Arabia and Africa, and lines up everything from desert scenery and vast golden beaches to bohemian seaside towns and buzzing cities.
The rose-red city of
Marrakech (so called due to the terracotta hue of its walls and houses) is the premier city destination. Winston Churchill came here to paint back in the 1930s and 1940s, while fashion legend Yves Saint Laurent came to restore the exquisite Majorelle Gardens, an oasis of palms, pools and cacti, complemented by walls and pots painted in bright 'Majorelle Blue'.
The city's main square
– Djemaa el-Fna
– is a hub of activity, particularly in the evenings when you'll find sizzling street food stalls and fresh orange juice stands, plus snake charmers, acrobats, musicians and fire eaters entertaining crowds of locals and visitors. Just off the square is the entrance to the souks, a warren-like maze of alleyways lined with shops hawking Berber carpets, leather footstalls, silver lanterns and beaded slippers.
When the heat of the city gets too much, escape to the cool slopes of the snow-capped High Atlas Mountains, or retreat to the coast.
Agadir is home to an enormous swathe of golden sand, as well as a traditional souk and medina, while laid-back Essaouira features whitewashed, blue-shuttered houses, a breezy beach, and a marina lined with seafood stalls.
