Morocco: a magic land
A trip to Morocco evokes ancient history and age-old emotions. It carries the trace of the diverse people that have travelled through this land: from the Berbers to the Phoenicians, from the Carthaginians to the Romans, from the Byzantines to the Arabs.
There are so many picturesque places to discover from North to South: The Atlas Mountains, the jagged coasts of the Mediterranean, the luxuriant palm groves, the fertile valleys of Argan, the unreal silence of the Sahara dunes, imperial cities with their refined riads, fascinating medinas and colourful souks. Visit Rabat, with its elegant historical centre encrusted with domes, minarets and terraces – just one and a half hours from La Fiermontina Ocean – or six hours away - the kaleidoscopic Marrakesh, home to the world-famous medina, palaces and secret gardens. Or what about Fes, a spiritual and cultural centre, with its Souk of the Dyers, Meknes, the city of a hundred minarets, or the nearby Roman site of Volubilis.
And then there is the lesser-known Morocco, like the province of Larache in the North-West, or Tangiers, the cosmopolitan city loved by English poets, which deserves to be discovered in the company of a writer to reveal its secret spots. It’s a beautiful experience to lose oneself in Asilah’s picturesque ocean-facing kasbah, and in the summer to attend the Asilah Art Festival, with artists coming from all over the world to paint murals on the city’s walls. The sunset from Las Cuevas beach is spectacular, as is the unique Cromlech of M’soura, a megalithic monument featuring 170 dolmens surrounding a tomb. A few kilometres from Larache lies the Archaeological Park of Lixus, one of the oldest cities in Northern Africa (7th century BC) where precious garum (fish sauce) was produced in Roman times. About 40 kilometres away, the small fishing village of Moulay Bousselham offers magnificent beaches, large dunes and the Laguna de Merja Zerga natural reserve, a kingdom of flamingos and of colonies of wild birds and animals, perfect for birdwatchers.
