The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking, trekking, and climbing the world

Northern Morocco town and country walks

Happy Holidays from Singapore!

I had previously been to Morocco three times with the sole focus on trekking and climbing, the latest in 2023 when I summited Mt. Toubkal. In contrast, my one week visit to northern Morocco in October focused almost exclusively on culture, archeology, and history. Nevertheless, as with nearly all my travels, a walking component was not neglected as our Intrepid Travel group explored on foot: Cape Spartel north of Tangiers, the Blue City of Chefchaouen (and nearby hills), the sacred town of Moulay Idriss, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, and the frenetic Medina of Fes, before finishing in Marrakech.

Join me on a short journey through northern Morocco.

Our 8 day itinerary from Casablanca to Marrakech.
Cape Spartel lighthouse, Tangier. While our trip started in Casablanca, to my mind it is not a city worth exploring and the 2 hour high speed train (300 kph!) quickly brought us to Tangier and the northern coast.
View towards Spain and Gibralter at Cape Spartel. Northern Morocco was far greener than what I have experienced in the more arid southern part of the country.
Hotel Dar Mounir in Chefchaouen. My windows are directly above the entrance. Earplugs required!
One other guest and I took a half-day guided hike along some trails into the Rif Mountains. Here is a view back to the Blue City of Chefchaouen, easily my fave on this trip.
Goats along the trail
A street in Chefchaouen
Lush foilage outside the Kasbah of Chefchaouen
Another Chefchaouen street. Though hardly undiscovered by tourists, I never grew tired of walking around this town.
Colorful steps in the sacred town of Moulay Idress Zerhoun. Non-Muslims have only been allowed to visit since early this century.
Sunset over Moulay Idress Zerhoun. The town is named for the father of Islam in Morocco, Idris (I) ibn Abd Allah.
Basilica of Volubilis. Spot the moon. Despite being better known, these Roman ruins were not as impressive as either Dougga or Bulla Regia that I recently visited in Tunisia.
Volubilis in-situ tile mosaic
Intricate zellige tilework on a Royal Palace door in Fes. I had no idea that Fes has about the population of Tangier, the 2nd largest city in Morocco after Casablanca.
Unusual in Morocco are the wooden balconies in the Quartier Mellah, the historic Jewish Quarter of Fes.
Fes Medina. This monstrously large warren of more than 10,000 streets definitely required a guide to explore!
Squeezing down a narrow alley in the Fes Medina
Medina market stall in Fes. Gorgeous!
Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech. Since my last visit in 2019, the Private Garden of the Villa Oasis, where Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent lived, has been opened to the public.

I am working on my next blog post, Walking on Tenerife and Gran Canaria, another in my long-running series on the Canary Islands. As it will be my first post of the New Year, I hope to further update my readers on my 2026 plans at that point.

Meanwhile, enjoy your Holidays with friends and family,

The Vagabond Hiker

Comments

  2. Clearly, there was a lot to see in Morocco… and this is just the tip of the tail… At some point, Norma and I must visit! Talk with you soon!

  3. What a beautiful area! I actually “ran” through Chefchaouen on my treadmill. Learned about the arches but now I can’t remember how to distinguish the different types. Love the blue and love the tiles and mosaics!

  4. Hello,
    My name is omar Who you contact from Toubkal Summit company
    My name is omar from Atlas mountains and Im à mountain and desert guide also organising trips Toubkal Summit and berber villages treks,desert trips
    We are a very good team and we are offering very good services
    Best regards
    Omar

Categories

Subscribe for Updates