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A Few Days in Africa

Hi!

My wife and I are flying to Paris from the United States in June. Paris is going to be the bookends to our trip. For the majority of our trip we’d like to venture to Southern Spain. We’ve primarily spent our time in the past in Granada or the smaller coastal towns. This time, we’re open to trying a different area of Southern Spain, but in addition, we would like to spend a few days in Morocco. Has anyone taken an extended trip into North Africa from Spain? Do you have any general or specific recommendations as we begin to make travel arrangement? We’re particularly interested in Casablanca, Fes, Chefchaouen.

Posted by
6792 posts

Yes, I have. Several times.

My advice: Skip any of the coastal cities accessible by ferry. You get a "bordertown" experience there (think: Juarez or Tijuana, Mexico). Casablanca has little that's appealing to a visitor, it's just an ordinary city, and other than being the capital (so some visitors have to pass through there on international flights), it's not worth a stop IMHO. The better stuff is beyond.

Fly past all that. Go straight to Marrakech and/or Fes - that's the good stuff, they're different, and both are worth seeing. The good news is that flights to Marrakech and Fes from many cities in western Europe are dirt cheap. The only "trick" is that the cheap flights may not go every day (typically every 2 or 3 days) so be flexible when searching. And don't be afraid to get creative with your itinerary. It's not hard to go further, too, over the High Atlas mountains and to the edge of the great sand seas of the Sahara.

Good news: there are dirt-cheap flights to/from not just Spain, but Paris, too, so it's possible to travel between Paris and Spain (or vice versa) by using Morocco as a "bridge" of sorts. On one previous trip, I did exactly that: It was primarily a trip to Spain, but my flight home was from Paris. We flew from Madrid to Marrakech, spent about 5 days in Morocco, flew out from Fes to Paris. Within Morocco, we took the train from Marrakech to Fes.

Morocco is a big country with lots to see and do; don't short-change it (and yourself) by trying to squeeze it all into just a day or two there.

Posted by
7949 posts

We originally planned to make a dip into Morocco (i.e., Tangier, with possible forays to Casablanca, etc.) from Spain, but ultimately saved Morocco for a separate trip, in January 2019. That started and ended in Marrakech, but included Fes, Ouzarzate, and a desert odyssey. With just a few days, Marrakech and/or Fes will reward you with the best experiences. Stay at a riad in the Medina, the old town of either city.