7 weeks and 150 years between us on a southern Morocco road trip (page 1 of 5)

We arrive in the evening in Marrakesh, and a taxi arranged by our friendly Riad is waiting for us. The driver takes us to the door, where we’re briefly greeted by our hosts. The room is heated—phew—because it’s really cold on this January 17th for our arrival. Riad Alisma, where we’re staying for 2 nights. The next morning, it’s pouring rain when we wake up, but after a good breakfast, the rain has calmed down. Off we go to the medersa, which allows for a relatively sheltered visit. We’d visited this palace 15 years ago—it’s been renovated since then.





From there, without the rain, we wander aimlessly and eventually end up near the tanneries, but it’s Sunday, and there’s very little activity. Of course, we get hassled by a tout.



Here, the hides after being treated with lime—I love the colors.

We part ways a bit annoyed. He gets a little revenge by giving us bad directions, and we end up outside the city walls. We decide to take a taxi to the new modern art museum—60 dirhams for the 5 km, which is nothing when you think about it. That tout, who we didn’t ask for anything and made it clear we weren’t buying anything, dragged us into a shop supposedly only open that day and demanded 50 dirhams for his "services"! Let’s forget that bad moment and enjoy the exhibition at the MACAL.



The taxi on the way back drops us off at Place des Ferblantiers, not far from our Riad. We’re a little peckish—it’s worth mentioning that at lunchtime, we only ate a plate of beans from a street vendor. So, we buy a bunch of little sweets, each more delicious than the last, at Ajar. We snack while sipping mint tea and watching life go by around us. A final visit to the Museum of Moroccan Cuisine on our way back helps us dodge a few more showers. Then it’s back to the Riad. The atmosphere in the city is heating up—it’s the AFCON final tonight. The temperatures, though? Not so much. We ordered a meal at the Riad, and it was a good call—not only was it really tasty, but the rain also picked up again. Our day in Marrakesh ends under the covers with a good book and some photo sorting. Still, we managed 10,750 steps. View of our Riad



Tomorrow, we’ll pick up our rental car from Medloc and head to Essaouira.

Looking forward to sharing our daily adventures with you all...

Thanks for sharing—it was really interesting to read.

Safe travels! Apparently, the weather isn’t great in Morocco this January!

Thanks for sharing this trip.

I’m not sure how consistent I’ll be, but we’ll give it a try!

Not great at all this time—the cold that was starting has really settled in. Cold and bleh rain. I’m already struggling to keep up with this travel journal...

Second day exploring Essaouira, the weather's lovely. A little spot on the beach to start the day.



A bit of culture at Bayt Dakira, which tells the local history and the harmony between Muslims and Jews. Something to reflect on for better days ahead.



Our steps lead us back to the port, where we meet a former fisherman who gives us some insights and explains the harsh reality faced by retired fishermen without income. We wander around, watching the bait being made.



And let’s just say the fishing’s good here. You pick your meal right off the boat!

There’s plenty to feast on—you can have your little lobster grilled right there, or maybe a spiny lobster if that’s more your style. As for the cats here, let’s just say they’re far from starving, and life’s pretty good for them.

Thanks for sharing, Anne. I’ll be following along with great pleasure. We did a loop from Fès, Tanger, Rabat, Meknès in January 2025. We didn’t get any rain, but it was pretty cold. As a souvenir, I brought home pneumonia 🤧😅. Looking forward to seeing what comes next 😊 Christelle

I took advantage of your great tips. About the cold, it’s true I didn’t pack enough warm clothes. We barely took off our fleece and puffer jackets all week!

This morning, we're heading to the Ida Ourgoud souk, which takes place on Wednesdays.



It’s a real dive into deep Morocco. Here, everyone wears a djellaba, and with the sun warming us up a little, we’re enjoying the change of atmosphere. It’s peak mandarin season—they’re delicious. We meet a French couple; the man has been coming to this region for over 20 years and even lived here. He explains that before, this was a women’s market… Now, the vendors are all men, and even few women do their shopping here. I don’t think I would’ve noticed without him. People come here to buy meat and vegetables, get a teapot repaired, get a haircut, buy a new djellaba, or eat grilled goat’s head. We just enjoy watching.







From there, we get back in the car to drive a few kilometers and discover an old sugar refinery. In the middle of olive trees and far from everything, it’s quite surprising to find. These impressive ruins, massive in size, date back to the 16th century. Back then, sugarcane was cultivated in this region. A mill powered by a long water canal crushed the pulp, and the juice was then cooked to produce high-quality sugar. This sugar was transported to the sea and shipped all over. It was traded weight-for-weight for Carrara marble, for example, or weapons in England. Sugar was a rare commodity at the time and considered a remedy.





Guided by Google Maps, it’s an easy track, but we take precautions with our rental car. All this rain has allowed wildflowers to bloom. A great day of discoveries. Thanks to all VF members for their tips!





We’ll end our excursion at a women’s cooperative that processes argan nuts. We’ll buy a jar of amlou, the local Nutella, but we’ll skip the oil, which sells for a fortune—80 € a liter! Anyway, our trip is just beginning.

Thanks for this illustrated travel journal—it’s a destination that still interests so many people!

Thanks for letting me relive that beautiful visit to Ida Ougourd. That’s where I learned that camel hump fat is highly prized. It’s an amazing souk, full of authentic charm.

Can’t wait to follow you on the Moroccan roads. Happy travels.

Oh, Morocco—I’m jumping in too! I love this country, but I don’t get there often. Thanks, Anne, for sharing!

Oh, Morocco—I’m heading there too! I love this country, but I don’t go often. Thanks, Anne, for sharing.

On our end, our last and only visit to this country was back in 2011! We leave Essaouira and slowly start making our way south. I’d read there were rock salt flats along our route, so we take a detour—the track indicated is now properly paved. The salt flats are flooded, and all we see is a big pile of salt being loaded onto a truck by workers.



One of them calls out to us as we take a photo… Given how little there is to see due to the bad weather and the not-so-friendly welcome, we turn back to return to National Road 1 and head toward the small town of Tafedna. I get the feeling we could’ve gone straight from one to the other since all the tracks seem to have been replaced by tarmac, but we don’t take the risk. Along the way, we pick up our hitchhiker of the day and drop him off at the port. Tafedna is very typical and very small.



We enjoy a grilled sea bream with some really good fries and salad—pure bliss.

All while watching a tractor carefully placing the boats onto the sidewalk one by one. There’s a storm coming in two days, so the boats are being put away for safety. Oh no! And here we were hoping the weather would improve… We take the opportunity to snap some nice photos. I wonder if it’ll be the cats or the donkeys that become my recurring theme.







We calmly get back in the car and can’t find our hitchhiker, who wanted us to take him home. One last look at the sea.

There’s some blue sky now 😊

Such a pleasant read, it really makes you feel like you're there. It's great to have the insights on the weather and the little hiccups too—it makes the trip feel so authentic. Thanks for sharing!

The salt flats are definitely very different depending on the season. It can be really beautiful sometimes. You just arrived at the wrong time.

Yeah, it wasn’t the right season. I’ve got terrible reception and I’m really struggling to keep up with my story. The photos I upload disappear after a few hours… patience for the rest!

Despite the forecast calling for rain, we set off with the goal of seeing Paradise Valley and the Imouzzer waterfalls. The road is beautiful, and the wildflowers are loving this damp weather.

We arrive at the dam, which is nice and full.



All this rain promises a great harvest. After 14 speed bumps to cross the dam, we’re tackling small mountains. The roads are scattered with rocks, and I can’t stop sneezing. We stop here and there to take photos of these ever-changing landscapes.

Luckily, we don’t run into any other cars.

The weather gets worse and worse, and we get a little lost. Completely in the clouds, we approach Imouzer. We pick up a hitchhiker whose scooter broke down in these mountains—and in thick fog! When we arrive at the waterfalls, we can see them, but it’s impossible to reach them without a guide! I know they make a living from tourists, but it still annoys me sometimes—I feel like my freedom is being restricted. Anyway, in the rain and with a guide in tow, we make it to the base of the falls. They’re impressive in height, but honestly, I’ve seen better. Apparently, it’s been years since they had this much water.

Here’s the "bride’s veil."

Despite the downpour, we’re bombarded with offers to buy souvenirs. All I want is to get back to the car’s heater! The return trip is easier. Some young French guys wanted to take a photo of their camper van in the wadi?!? And they couldn’t get it back out—they’ll keep us entertained on the way back. After the scooter in the mountains, now the submerged camper van.



At the Blue Tajines, Hassan sees I’m freezing. He brings out the only heater he has to warm the room and gives me some medicine that turns out to be effective—but the next day, I’ll stay in bed!

I saw the Imouzzer waterfalls a long time ago. There was still a little water back then. But I remember it being cold there. The sun doesn’t reach that spot.

As for Morocco, it’s a bit sad in the rain. It’s a country made for sunshine. But the rain brings a smile to Moroccans’ faces—they need it so much.

Take care and have a great trip. I’ll be happy to read your updates.