All Albums Morocco: North
North: Cities and Coastline Other album Morocco South: Atlas Mountains, Desert, and Oases) Morocco was a surprise to me in that it has so much to offer on a road trip in a rather compact space, and nicely close to my home in Europe. This part shows impressions of the first half of our journey on the northern side of the Atlas mountain range, which goes from north east to south west dividing Morocco. My personal favorite is the second part with its scarce but impressive landscape. But in the north, bustling medinas (old towns) and beautiful city gardens blew my mind as well. Our trip started in Fes, being thrown into the bustling labyrinth of the old town, the medina. Shopping in the busy streets with their markets, wandering in the quiet streets. Rabat is the capital, with a more commercial flair, government buildings, the big king's palace, and the old and well restored fortress. Unfortunately work on a supposedly ugly hotel temple by the emirates has started which will ruin the view from the kasbah soon. Casablanca has mostly a gigantic mosque to show off to visitors, and grand development plans that will not save its lack of charm. El Jadida is a quiet little jewel on the coast, not visited much by international tourists. Essaouira seems attractive to tourists through its nice and long city beach. But really, beaches are nicer in between the cities, and key to Essaouira is its active port life. People are selling, repairing, eating, discussing, wandering about. Marrakech again is more of a hub, not a place to discover anything you wouldn't love more in other cities.
Stop-over in Lisbon: Santa Maria de Belém Stop-over in Lisbon: Coast at Santa Maria de Belém Stop-over in Lisbon: Coast at Santa Maria de Belém Stop-over in Lisbon: Coast at Santa Maria de Belém Fes: Fish market in old town ("medina") Fes: Old town shopping street Fes: Butcher in old town Fes: Old town shopping street Fes: Fish market in old town Fes: Painter's (work)shop in old town Fes: (Work) shop at bronze market in old town Fes: Bronze market in old town Fes: Tannerie Fes: Tannerie Fes: Tannerie Fes: Tannerie Fes mosque and University of Al Quaraouiyine (from 859, oldest in the world) Fes: Henna market along the "Big Way" in the old town Fes: "Big Way" in old town (there is also a "Small Way") Fes: Western gate "Bab Bou Jeloud" to the old town Fes: Ruins over old town, dryning tanned leather Riad (guest house) in Fes Side gate at Fes king's palace Fes: Jardin Jnan Sbil Fes: Jardin Jnan Sbil Fes: Jardin Jnan Sbil Fes architecture Fes musée Batha Fes bus station Fes Jewish quarter Fes Jewish quarter Fes: Courtyard in Jewish quarter Fes Jewish quarter Fes Jewish quarter Volubilis roman ruins near Meknés Rabat architecture Rabat: Guard at Mausolée Mohammed V Rabat: Ruin of old mosque in Chellah Rabat: Mosque in king's palace Rabat: Wall of kasbah (old fortress) Rabat kasbah Rabat kasbah Rabat old town Ferry to Rabat old town Fishing "Sar" along Rabat shoreline Fishing "Sar" along Rabat shoreline Casablanca: Entrance to mosque Hassan II El Jadida old town El Jadida old town El Jadida port: Pulling boat out of water El Jadida old town El Jadida: Around old town El Jadida old town El Jadida Beach in Sidi Bouzid Coast south of El Jadida Mrizika beach Mrizika beach Near Oualidia Oualidia Oualidia: Gutting a shark Oualidia Oualidia Essaouira old town Essaouira old town Essaouira old town Essaouira old town Essaouira old town Essaouira old town Essaouira port Essaouira port Essaouira port Essaouira port Essaouira port Essaouira port Essaouira port Essaouira port Essaouira port: Boxes to store fish Essaouira port Essaouira port Essaouira port Essaouira port Essaouira old town: Selling souvenirs Essaouira old town Essaouira old town Essaouira port Essaouira port