If we're honest, Morocco is a country we hadn't really considered until recently and booked fairly last minute as we wanted to go away for the Easter Holidays. Having not done a lot of research prior to the trip and not really knowing what to except, we were completely blown away by this incredible country with its vibrant culture, bustling cities and stunning landscapes. Here is how we spent our week in Morocco, from Agadir to the Sahara to Marrakech.
Day 1 - Arriving in Agadir
After catching an evening flight into Agadir, we picked up our hire car and then were thrown into driving on the wrong side of the road through the crazy city traffic towards Taghazout, where we were staying. This was pretty overwhelming and it was disorientating arriving into Taghazout in the dark onto dirt tracks, having done no research about where to get food or fuel! But we made it safely to our Air BnB and headed for the seafront to take a much-needed relaxing stroll and drink at a beach-front bar.
Day 2 - Exploring Agadir and travelling onto Ouarzazate
The next day we were feeling a lot more relaxed and headed to the beach for a swim as there were no waves for a surf which was the original plan. It was fun seeing camels walking along the beach - a bit different to what we are used to! We then spent some time exploring the little streets of Taghazout before driving the 6 hour journey to Ouarzazate, our stop-over on the way to the Sahara.
Day 3 - Ouarzazate and onto the Sahara
We spent the morning exploring the Taourit Kasbah in Ouarzazate; an old citadel with ancient mud-brick buildings. We then drove the second part of our journey to the Sahara - another 5 hour trip.
Our time in the Sahara desert was incredible. Before we booked our trip, we were unsure whether it was worth all the travel days to go here for just one night, but yes yes yes it was! This was by far the highlight of our trip. We arrived in Merzouga, known as the gateway to the Sahara, where we were greeted by our host, Housain. We were taken into the dunes, riding on camels, then climbed up a dune to watch the most beautiful sunset and try a bit of sand boarding. The views here were amazing! We then rode to the camp where we were given a lovely moroccan tagine and enjoyed some Berber music with Housain and his family around a campfire.
Day 4 - Waking up in the Desert and Ait Benhaddou
The next day we woke up and had some breakfast in the desert before riding back to Merzouga. We then drove back to Ouarzazate and got to our Air BnB in time to go out and visit Ait Benhaddou. This is another old city that has been used as a filming location for lots of famous films and TV shows (Game of thrones and Gladiator included). We were lucky enough to be here at golden hour and it was stunning. We enjoyed climbing the quaint maze of streets up to the top and gazing at the views down over the city and desert in the distance.
Day 5 - Marrakech - first impressions
Going to Marrakech after being in the calm, peaceful desert was a bit of a shock to be honest - Marrakech is definitely not calm! After another 5 hour journey we got to Marrakech and spent some time in the city. As expected, we got lost in the souks and were bombarded by people trying to get us to eat at their stalls in the Jemaa El-Fnaa Square. It was all a bit overwhelming after our long journey and it was pretty hot so we found a quiet roof-top bar where we were able to relax.
Day 6 - Marrakech - feeling more at ease
After a good night's sleep we were feeling so much better and were able to really take in the city and embrace it in all its vibrance! We picked up Amy's sister from the airport then spent the day sightseeing and exploring the souks and the square. We visited the Bahia Palace and the Jardins Majourelles - both have very beautiful, impressive architecture and design as well as exotic plants at the Jardins Majourelles!
We drank mint tea and we even grew to love haggling in the souks and dodging the scooters that came whizzing by along the narrow streets!
In the evening we had tagine at M Rooftop as the sun was setting and enjoyed listening to the call to prayer echo across the city.
Day 7 - Ouzoud Falls
A fairly spontaneous trip out of the city turned out to be one of our highlights. We decided we wanted to see some more of Morocco before heading home so found the Ouzoud Falls - Morocco's highest waterfall. There are lots of group tours that take you here from the city but as we had the car we decided to make the journey ourselves.
We left early and were so glad we did as it meant we arrived at the falls before any other tourists and had the place to ourselves. A local guide we met took us on a hike to the falls, showing us some of the smaller falls as well and we were able to take the boat across the river, having a chance to attempt rowing it too! The journey to the Ouzoud Falls took about 2.5 hours each way and we got back to Marrakech in time to have a final meal in another rooftop restaurant - this time the lovely L'Mida.
Day 8 - Surfing in Agadir
We were determined to surf before we left Morocco so on our way to the airport we stopped off along the coast from Agadir where we hired boards and did indeed enjoy a surf! Unfortunately, although we were next to some really fancy resorts, the water here wasn't the cleanest and had small bits of litter floating in it which was sad to see. Nevertheless, we were glad to have surfed and made the most of our last day in Morocco.
Accommodation and transport
Morocco is full of beautifully designed Riads which we would love to stay in if we go back to Morocco again one day. However, as we were doing this trip on a budget, we found some simple Air BnBs that had self-catering facilities which suited us for this time.
We also organised our own transport, choosing to hire a car for the duration of the trip. We're really glad we did this as it enabled us to travel as and when we wanted and we got to see so much of the country as we drove across it. We did however get caught a few times at the police checks that seemed to change their signs and rules slightly every time, so annoyingly we had to pay a couple of small fines. Our advice would be to be over cautious with your speed and make sure you carry some cash just in case!
Of all the places we have been, Morocco is probably the country that has surprised us the most. Although it was a bit of a shock at first, we grew to love the vibrant culture, the beautiful designs and of course the incredible nature! For a country that is not far from us in the UK, it feels so different and really has so much to offer. Morocco is definitely somewhere we would recommend!
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