Luxury Morocco Holidays

Just a four hour flight from the UK, Morocco encapsulates the exoticism of far more distant lands. The towering Rif and Atlas Mountains proved historically to be an impenetrable barrier to successive invaders, thereby preserving the lifestyle and language of an indigenous Berber population who have added a richness and unique cultural depth to this North African country. Morocco is a mountainous and surprisingly green country of outstanding natural beauty, where the dazzling peaks of the Atlas give way to the silent shifting sands of the Sahara desert, and the gently undulating hills of Eucalyptus and Argana trees succumb to long ribbons of golden sand on the Atlantic coast.

The Best of Both Worlds

We personalise each holiday and it’s easy for us to combine two or more contrasting areas of Morocco for you to enjoy. You could spend a few days in the bustling city of Marrakech in a luxurious hotel or riad, before moving to a beautiful hideaway in the High Atlas or a lovely hotel by the coast in Agadir or Essaouira. We’ve highlighted a number of possible two centre holidays in Morocco, but don’t feel confined by our choices. New roadways in Morocco have reduced transfer times dramatically making two and multi centres relatively easy. Simply call our knowledgable reservations team on 0800 047 1066 to discuss your ideal holiday combination.

When to Visit

Spring can start as early as January, the summer months are hot, and the sustained sunshine and blue skies of autumn can extend right through to late November or early December. Spring and autumn are wonderful times to visit and temperatures tend to hover around the mid to late 20's during the day.

Cuisine

The food of Morocco reflects the country's diverse cultural heritage. The Berber influence remains strong with many of the traditional Moroccan dishes such as couscous, tajine (tasty stews) and harira (hearty soups) being Berber in origin.

The Bedouin Arabs introduced dates, milk, grain, bread and dried pasta, the Moors brought Andalucian foods to the feast - nuts, fruits, herbs and oil, and invading Arabs brought a wealth of spices from the East.

Essentially Moroccan cuisine is based around the staples of peppers, tomatoes, garlic, olives, eggs, onions, couscous, chicken, lamb, pigeon, fish and a wealth of spices, fruits, nuts and pastries both savoury and sweet.

Marrakech offers some great Moroccan dishes served in beautiful traditional restaurants. Essaouira has a number of restaurants whose appearance belies the quality of the food available – never judge a book by its cover! Agadir has a huge number and variety of restaurants with menus offering Italian, French, Indian, Chinese and Lebanese.

Currency, Tipping & Dress

The currency of Morocco is the Dirham and as a closed currency cannot be purchased outside Morocco. Sterling cash can be exchanged at the airport on arrival, or in the resort hotels, and cash machines are available in cities and coastal resort areas but rare in rural areas.

Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted cards. Owing to low levels of income, tipping is customary and commonplace in Morocco and tips are readily accepted and gratefully received.

Please note that as Morocco is a religious country, modest dress is essential; covering up from shoulder to just below the knee when visiting Islamic monuments and wandering the alleyways of souks in any of the towns or resort areas, and swimwear is only acceptable when you’re in close proximity to a swimming pool or beach.

Ramadan

In 2019 the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan will be observed from around 5 May until 4 June which might be an incentive or a deterrent to people wishing to travel. Some restaurants in resort areas might close for the month, but the evening and night time celebrations, particularly from the end of the second week onwards are particularly lively and colourful.

Traditional Riads

Within the walls of Morocco's ancient cities a large number of former Moroccan merchant's homes have been beautifully converted into small riads of great charm and character providing delightful retreats.

In a country where it is not acceptable for a rich man to flaunt his wealth, riads have a modest exterior. A covered passageway leads to an interior courtyard where silence is only broken by the sounds of a fountain in a central courtyard. Lounges and dining areas, open on one side, are built off the courtyard which is overlooked by the upper storeys onto whose suspended corridors the bedrooms open out, and roof terraces offer areas for dining al fresco, boasting great views into the medina below.

Experience Morocco

This is an exhilarating country where the miasma of cultural opportunities includes multitudes of historic monuments and buildings plus a plethora of mesmerising medinas and souks. Additionally, Morocco offers everything from a bit of gentle swimming in the hotel pool or lazing in the spa, to the more active pursuits of mountain biking, trekking, horse riding and tennis, plus there are some impressive golf courses, watersports available along the coast, and cookery schools are growing in popularity for those wishing to learn more about the art of preparing Moroccan cuisine. Although one of the best ways to fully appreciate the country’s spectacular scenery must be to engage the services of a local guide and mule for a day’s trekking through the mountains and valleys of the High Atlas.

Hiking & Trekking

There are many opportunities for trekking in the unspoilt and beautiful High Atlas Mountains, and from Marrakech there are hikes available with the services of a local mountain guide. An organised day’s trek or hike through this impressive mountain range with its stunning red and ochre landscape, crossing dry river beds and passing through traditional Berber villages, includes a stop for lunch in a traditional Moroccan home or restaurant.

Watersports

Agadir boasts a wonderful year round climate on the Atlantic Ocean and active visitors can enjoy a wide variety of watersports including windsurfing, jet skiing and kite surfing. To the north of Agadir there is excellent surfing and bodyboarding for all abilities at the laid back beach resort of Taghazout and Essaouira is popular with the windsurfing fraternity. The Atlantic also provides opportunities for deep-sea fishing whilst the lakes of the Atlas are rich in trout, bass and pike.

Cookery Schools

For those wishing to learn more about Moroccan cuisine, La Maison Arabe, one of our hotels in Marrakech, offer cookery workshops where you can learn the secrets of Moroccan pastries and how to create delicious, traditional tajine, delightful salads and refreshing mint tea. Small groups of participants are taught by a dada (traditional Moroccan cook) alongside a translator, and at the end of each workshop, participants can enjoy the specialities they have prepared. Additionally, the hotel offers individual lessons in addition to its group workshops.

Golf

Ideal weather combined with a good number of impressive courses has made Morocco a popular golfing destination. Mild winters and hot summers tempered by cooling ocean breezes make Agadir perfect for golf and there are four courses including the stunning Le Soleil Golf Club at RIU Grand Palace Tikida Golf plus, for players of all abilities, Les Dunes Golf Club. Close to Marrakech, away from the bustle of the city, there are six fabulous courses, the most popular of which is the spectacularly placed Amelkis Golf Club with a wonderful backdrop of the Atlas Mountains, and the fantastic 18 hole Royal Palm Golf Club designed by Cabell B. Robinson, whilst Essaouira boasts the 18 hole Gary Player designed, Golf Mogador. For further details please contact our reservations team who can assist with booking tee times.

Chez Ali Fantasia

A true 1001 Nights experience ending with spectacular fireworks, Chez Ali is situated just outside Marrakech and provides an authentically Moroccan evening of fine cuisine, traditional folklore and the warmest hospitality. There are performances by musicians and dancers, and a Moroccan four course feast is served in traditional Caidal tents before a breathtaking display in the main arena of acrobatic horse-riding skills and mock battles.

Bustling Souks & Colourful Markets

Bartering is a way of life in Morocco and what better place to perfect your bargaining skills than in one of the village markets, or in Marrakech medina with its multitude of souks, each dedicated to a particular trade. Good buys include spices, argan oil and olives, hand dyed textiles, traditional Moroccan slippers, babouches, and beautifully woven rugs and tribal kelims (flat-weave rugs), as well as copper and brass trays with fine, ornate hammered designs, quality pottery, leather goods and Berber jewellery, and from Essaouira, wonderful boxes and turned containers made from the local, lavishly grained Thuya wood. There are weekly markets held in many of the villages and towns in the High Atlas including Ourika and Asni and an abundance of souks can be found in the Marrakech and Essaouira medinas as well as, to a lesser extent, in Agadir.

Spa & Hammams

Many of our hotels offer exquisite and beautifully designed hammams and spas. In Marrakech, Les Jardins de la Koutoubia, Sofitel Marrakech Palais Imperial, Four Seasons Resort Marrakech and Palais Aziza all offer spa treatments and hammams, in Agadir, Sofitel Agadir Thalassa Sea & Spa features a Thalassotherapy centre and Kasbah Tamadot in the High Atlas offers a range of indulgent treatments.