You’ve chosen your holiday destination – Morocco – but haven’t decided on an activity yet. Alongside the classic options, a whole new range of activities is emerging. And if you didn’t think Morocco was the ideal place for an active holiday, think again! There’s a wide range of options to suit all tastes and fitness levels.
A beach holiday
From early spring to late autumn, this is one of the highlights of what Morocco has to offer. A week at the beach, in one of the many resorts on the Atlantic Ocean or even the Mediterranean. Agadir, of course, which you can even visit in winter, Dakhla and the beaches of the far south, Essaouira, Oualidia, El Jadida… all the way to Tangier, all-inclusive hotels welcome you with sea views, superb private beaches and leisure facilities, spas…
To the north, the less-frequented Mediterranean coast also holds its own treasures. Al Hoceima and its wild coves, Nador and its lagoons, or Saïdia, nicknamed the ‘blue pearl’, offer fine sandy beaches lapped by turquoise waters. These destinations, favoured by Moroccans themselves, guarantee an immersion in local culture whilst enjoying an idyllic setting.
And when it comes to your stay, there’s plenty of choice, from family-friendly holiday clubs and romantic boutique hotels to villas with private pools.
The legendary Mazagan, for example, offers you the chance to spend a week in a world of luxury. But you can also find simpler hotels at more reasonable prices. You won’t have direct access to a private beach, but you’ll still be able to enjoy the sea and the sun just as much!
All-inclusive sports holidays: performance and relaxation
More recently (apart from golf holidays, which have long been popular), Morocco has established itself as a leading sports destination, capable of hosting all-inclusive holidays that combine training, competition and recovery in exceptional settings. With sunshine almost all year round, modern facilities and a variety of venues, the kingdom is an ideal playground for many different sports.
There is now a wide range of options for an active holiday in Morocco: surfing and kitesurfing attract a young, sporty crowd to the spots at Taghazout, Imsouane and Essaouira. All-inclusive surf camps offer accommodation in bungalows or shared villas, a hearty breakfast and dinner, daily lessons with qualified instructors, and equipment hire. The friendly atmosphere and the technical quality of the waves, suitable for both beginners and experienced surfers, make this coastline a world-renowned destination.
For mountain sports enthusiasts, the resorts of Oukaïmeden and Michlifen offer all-inclusive ski packages in winter, whilst trail running and mountain biking are becoming increasingly popular on the trails of the Atlas Mountains. The Marathon des Sables, an ultra-trail race in the desert, and the Tour du Maroc cycle race attract top-level athletes, as do numerous car rallies, such as the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles. Hotel complexes now feature fitness centres, tennis courts, Olympic-sized swimming pools and spas with hammams and traditional treatments, offering a holistic approach to sporting well-being.
A cultural holiday
These are usually taken as round-trip tours. One to two weeks to explore the imperial cities and immerse yourself in Morocco’s millennia-old history.
Each of the imperial cities has its own character. From spiritual Fez to modern Rabat, via Marrakesh—once the heart of a vast Moroccan empire—the various dynasties built palaces and mosques and left their mark. As well as visiting the monuments, you will explore the medinas, with their narrow alleyways and the austere, almost blind facades of the riads that conceal their magnificent interiors.
Many museums are now open. These include traditional museums, as well as those showcasing more modern works, such as the various photography museums or the Mohammed VI Museum in Rabat, whose collections and exhibitions feature modern art.
There are often introductory activities on offer, such as cookery and pottery workshops.
Whether you’re organising your own trip or booking a package tour through an agency, be careful not to overdo it! Make sure you allow time to rest – perhaps an afternoon of doing nothing – so you don’t end up exhausted.
Finally, you can visit Morocco during specific festivals, such as the Gnawa Music Festival in Essaouira, or the Horse Festival in Moulay Abdullah Amrar, near El Jadida.
“Nature and Discoveries”
Two destinations are particularly popular with tourists: the desert and the mountains.
A trip to the desert is usually a day or two (although personally I’d recommend spending five to seven days there, so you can really experience it rather than just ‘passing through’).
The classic camel trek to your camp in the dunes is a comfortable way to explore these sandy expanses; but be warned, the animal’s swaying gait will require you to have a fair bit of balance!
Morocco’s mountains offer a striking contrast to the arid desert. The High Atlas range, dominated by Jbel Toubkal (4,167 m), the highest peak in North Africa, attracts trekkers from all over the world. The ascent of Toubkal, which can be completed in two days from the village of Imlil, does not require technical experience but does demand a good level of fitness. The neighbouring valleys, such as the Ourika or Zat valleys, offer more accessible hikes through terraced farmland and holm oak forests.
The Middle Atlas, with its ancient cedar forests and volcanic lakes such as Lake Ifrane, is a prime destination for wildlife watching, particularly Barbary macaques. Ifrane, nicknamed the ‘Little Switzerland’ of Morocco, surprises visitors with its Alpine architecture and ski resorts. The Rif, to the north, with its cliffs plunging into the Mediterranean and its hiking trails around Chefchaouen, the blue city, completes this exceptional natural landscape. Specialist agencies offer multi-day nature tours combining trekking, birdwatching, botany and encounters with local people.
It’s up to you to choose the holiday that suits you best!
A typo or syntax error? You can select the text and hit Ctrl+Enter to send us a message. Thank you! If this post interested you, maybe you can also leave a comment. We'd love to exchange with you !
