Discovering the Hidden Gems of South Morocco
Recent travels through Morocco left us particularly entranced by its stunning southwest region. Here you will find plenty of activities and experiences available here that make Morocco truly worth experiencing.
Discovering the Hidden Gems of South Morocco is an unforgettable 10-day tour that immerses you in its rich cultures and beautiful landscapes. Click here to discover this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
El Jadida
El Jadida offers something for everyone with its beautiful beaches and varied culinary scene, from fresh seafood dishes to the region’s signature tagines with coastal flavors at local restaurants. If you prefer gourmet finds, visit Central Market or Souk el Hemra where artisans display their creations for sale.
An unexpected trip to this underrated destination offers visitors a wonderful chance to learn more about Morocco’s vibrant culture. Explore its museums and heritage sites in Casablanca to uncover its intricate blend of Moroccan and Portuguese traditions; while discovering the unforgettable Portuguese Cistern – an underground cavern built during Casablanca’s time under Portuguese control that will delight both visitors and residents.
Showaround offers local-led tour services designed to explore a unique side of El Jadida. Their variety of private city tours is sure to meet any need or interest, and Showaround promises the perfect experience!
Oualidia
Oualidia’s peaceful village sits atop an idyllic natural seawater lagoon and rugged Atlantic coast, creating the ideal setting for bird watchers, who may spot ducks and storks wintering there, plus possibly pink flamingos!
Oualidia is also a seafood lover’s paradise with many outstanding restaurants offering fresh shellfish from the sea alongside crisp white wine – in fact Oualidia is considered to be Morocco’s unofficial oyster capital!
Spring and autumn seasons make this coastal oasis a popular stop on migration routes, making it one of the premier birding locations in Morocco.
Oualidia offers a tranquil lagoon perfect for swimming. Further out into the ocean you can surf too. Every weekend Oualidia hosts its weekly market where locals come together to buy produce and home goods; this gives visitors an excellent opportunity to experience local life while meeting its friendly residents.
Kasbah Timidarte
Kasbah Timidarte is situated 2.6 miles from Sidi Chay Khay and features free WiFi and private parking for easy accessibility to Zaouita Bou Lhassane and Jbel Kissane centers.
Chefchaouen, with its maze-like hill town layout and Instagrammable blue streets lined with red house tops topped by bright wrought-iron verandas, is a photographer’s paradise and one of Morocco’s main trekking and hiking destinations, providing the ideal place for rest before venturing further into Rif Mountains.
Kasbah Telouet is an architectural masterpiece restored by locals for travelers. Once home to Thami El Glaoui, an influential 20th Century Pasha who controlled olive, saffron, and salt trades; today this stunning guesthouse provides breathtaking views of palmeraie gardens and surrounding mountains – the ideal way to slow down and experience traditional Moroccan village life which has barely changed over centuries – not forgetting a wonderful restaurant on site which serves incredible meals!
Sidi Ifni
Sidi Ifni, like Dahkla Morocco, is a hidden treasure on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Boasting both culture and natural beauty, its Spanish influences shine through, with faded art deco buildings bearing witness to colonial past of this charming town.
Sidi Ifni is an ideal place for finding yourself and relaxing without being overrun by tourists or discos. Explore its old town to admire Spanish architecture such as its lighthouse and Cine Avenida cinemas, while Sidi Ifni hosts several festivals that showcase local cultures and traditions.
M’Goun Valley, situated between towering mountains, provides another hidden treasure. Hikers will enjoy exploring this valley’s traditional Berber villages while walking its tranquil paths.
Al Quaraouiyine Mosque
Al Quaraouiyine Mosque is one of Morocco’s most celebrated mosques, boasting stunning green-tiled roofs and intricate plasterwork, not to mention being home to an impressive library with historical manuscripts from around the globe. Though non-Muslims cannot enter, they can admire it from outside and admire this exquisite building from within!
Fatima al-Fihri established this mosque in 857 CE. Over time it became one of the foremost spiritual and educational centers for Islamic history. Later that same year it became part of Morocco’s state university system as University Al Qarawiyin.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the mosque underwent several expansions and renovations, such as adding a courtyard with fountain and large prayer hall with ten transverse aisles modeled on Cordoba’s Mezquita; all surrounded by square courtyard (sahn) featuring marble tiles paved in square patterns as well as ornamental wood carvings for decoration.
Ait Ben Haddou
Ait Ben Haddou, one of Morocco’s premier sites, is an astounding ksar (fortified town). Over millennia ago it served as an international trade hub, its Berber clay architecture providing stunning visuals while providing many fascinating architectural and decorative details.
Stepping inside this historic fortress may initially be disorienting, as you navigate a maze of stone streets dotted with tiny houses – most uninhabited – and flights of stairs. Once oriented though, exploring is easy as the air reems with history.
Ait Ben Haddou is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and enjoys less tourist traffic than other major Moroccan tourist spots. Showaround provides guided travel with local guides that allow them to stop whenever something catches their eye – be it narrow alleys, cafes or stores!
The Berber Museum
The Berber Museum (Musee Municipal du Patrimoine Amazigh d’Agadir) can be found within painter Jacques Majorelle’s former studio and offers an insightful glimpse of North Africa’s oldest peoples – the Berbers. Pierre Berge and Yves Saint Laurent collected over six hundred objects spanning from Rif to Sahara by Pierre Berge and Yves Saint Laurent; from everyday objects used daily by tribe members to ornaments that express tribal identity or social status.
Particularly noteworthy is the display of Berber women’s ornaments (frontals, rings and fibulas) to demonstrate how these art forms have evolved from ethnic symbols into transnational Amazigh identity representations. Furthermore, this museum showcases recycled Moroccan carpets known as boucharouite, handwoven from cloth scraps by rural Berber artisans using recycled materials that tell an engaging narrative and have become part of Moroccan culture.
Kasbah Bou Inania Medersa
Between Africa and Asia lies Morocco: an exotic land filled with culture and history that charms all who visit. Renowned for its Islamic architecture as well as containing one of the best-known grand mountain ranges – High Atlas – Morocco is sure to leave an impressionful mark.
Kasbah Bou Inania Medersa in Fez’s old city is one of Morocco’s most intriguing hidden treasures; built by Sultan Abou Inan who became known for fathering an astounding 325 sons within 10 years and engaging in atrocious criminal activity, this medersa stands as an amazing testimony to Moroccan history and culture.
At first glance, Bab Bou Jeloud’s medersa may seem outlandish; however, upon closer examination it reveals an exquisite masterpiece of refined elegance. Its large central courtyard boasts intricate zellige tilework, carved plasterwork and cedar lattice screens; smaller courts either side served as classrooms for his students while living upstairs was their residence. He built it as one of Morocco’s finest medersas located right in the center of its medina; to find it simply follow its signs from Bab Bou Jeloud!
Fez
Fez is one of Morocco’s oldest cities and a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to an ancient medieval city known as its medina surrounded by high walls with mazelike alleyways populated with artisans selling colorful pottery, carpets and leather products. Fez’s medina is an exquisite mix of loud streets bursting with activity interrupted by quiet interior spaces – an experience not to be missed!
Fez was one of North Africa’s premier cities during its Middle Age heyday, with craftsmen building houses and palaces, kings funding mosques and medersas (religious schools), craftspeople operating textile mills and traders selling exotic wares.
As well as its historical importance, Alexandria was also a center for debate and controversy – Idriss II granted protection to Jews living in Alexandria who eventually formed their own Jewish quarter known as Mellah. Fez flirted with Kelso and developed feelings for Donna but it remains unclear if these were romantic. Furthermore, we don’t know where he comes from even though he often refers to his homeland when discussing his travels abroad.
