Seven Days in Morocco: In an original land of Adventure Travel, the more things change the more they stay the same.
The Perfect Week: Action plans for the trips of your life "We were sitting under a beautiful starlit sky, listening to Berber music miles and miles from civilization," Condo recalls. "It was one of those lifetime experiences you'll just never forget."
During their trek across Morocco on a Mountain Travel Sobek trip, Condo discovered the twin lures of this primal landscape: "the physical challenge of the backcountry and the culture's incredible diversity." Just eight miles (thirteen kilometers) from continental Europe, the kingdom of Morocco is a universe away. An outpost for intrepid wanderers long before it caught on with 1960s globe-trotters, this slice of North Africa is one of the world's original adventure destinations and remains a paragon of exotica.
Life here is tuned to the age-old rhythms of Islamic culture, which can be intimidating to Westerners elsewhere in the world. But tourism is Morocco's fastest growing industry, and the government keeps a watchful eye: It's against the law for anyone to offer guide services unless he is licensed by the state, and a Ministry of Tourism police force cracks down hard on pushy vendors (though you'll never be tout free in a place where haggling is the national pastime).
In Morocco, which is roughly the size of California, a rail system runs through all the marquee towns, and at around $30, an overnight ride on the Marrakech Express from Tangier is a serious bargain. Communal taxis ply the countryside, and major car-rental agencies have operations in the larger cities. Driving, though, can be something of a challenge at times—mule carts are everywhere, stoplights are scarce, and mopeds serve as the family car. Still, the roads are surprisingly good, and in a single trip you can explore time-warped cities, roam high mountain trails, windsurf the coast, and trek through the most famous desert in the world.
In Morocco, which is roughly the size of California, a rail system runs through all the marquee towns, and at around $30, an overnight ride on the Marrakech Express from Tangier is a serious bargain. Communal taxis ply the countryside, and major car-rental agencies have operations in the larger cities. Driving, though, can be something of a challenge at times—mule carts are everywhere, stoplights are scarce, and mopeds serve as the family car. Still, the roads are surprisingly good, and in a single trip you can explore time-warped cities, roam high mountain trails, windsurf the coast, and trek through the most famous desert in the world.
A big draw on its own, Marrakech is also the prime launchpad for outback jaunts. Within its trademark pink ramparts, casinos and nightclubs coexist with snake charmers and belly dancers. Beyond the walls, roads climb into the rugged Atlas Mountains, where 12,000-plus-foot (3,658-plus-meter) peaks draw climbers, hikers, and mountaineers in the warmer months and skiers from February to April. An hour's drive southeast lies the Saharan gateway of Ouarzazate.
And three hours west, you can cool down on the coast in the windsurfing hub of Essaouira. But the action isn't limited to wildland's edge. Wander the souks of Marrakech, or squeeze through the twisting alleyways in the medina (old city) of Fès. With its coppersmiths, candlemakers, and overloaded mules, it's like a Class V maze of the Middle Ages' greatest hits—a sight virtually unchanged for centuries. What Paul Bowles said of 1970s Tangier remains true of Morocco today: "It's changed less than the rest of the world." Funky, affordable, always unpredictable, the country serves up a millennium in the span of a single week.
And three hours west, you can cool down on the coast in the windsurfing hub of Essaouira. But the action isn't limited to wildland's edge. Wander the souks of Marrakech, or squeeze through the twisting alleyways in the medina (old city) of Fès. With its coppersmiths, candlemakers, and overloaded mules, it's like a Class V maze of the Middle Ages' greatest hits—a sight virtually unchanged for centuries. What Paul Bowles said of 1970s Tangier remains true of Morocco today: "It's changed less than the rest of the world." Funky, affordable, always unpredictable, the country serves up a millennium in the span of a single week.
