An adventure through the North African gem of Morocco unravels like a hand-spun, agave silk adorned carpet: sunset camel rides, ancient medinas, cinematic kasbahs, snowcapped mountains, sun-soaked dunes, and the echo of prayer calls bouncing off terracotta walls.
After a quick direct flight from Miami to Casablanca, a scenic drive takes you to Morocco’s capital, Rabat, where palaces meet the Atlantic and history whispers from every arched gate. This city has a unique flair with both modern and historic structures towering over clean, tree-lined streets making way to various embassies and world-class venues.
Its beachside location also makes for the perfect backdrop to a first taste of traditional Moroccan cooking. Layered, fragrant, and rooted in centuries of cultural exchange and culinary know-how, it blends Berber, Arab, Andalusian and French influences, resulting in bold dishes that celebrate both spice and simplicity. Meals in Morocco often center around slow-cooked tagines, a cone-shaped clay pot, used to make delicious concoctions like lamb with prunes, chicken with preserved lemons and olives, or seasonal vegetables with warm spices such as cumin, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon. Couscous, the country’s signature staple, is delicately steamed and typically served with vegetables, chickpeas and spiced broth. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are communal, often eaten by hand with pieces of warm khobz, a round, crusty bread. And no Moroccan experience is complete without mint tea, steeped strong, sweetened generously, and poured high.
The itinerary leads to Fes, Morocco’s oldest imperial city. Although there are some hotels and resorts in the outskirts, the best place to homebase is a traditional riad, a Moroccan residential estate-turned-accommodation centered around an interior courtyard. In Islamic tradition, the home is a sanctuary, and the architecture of a riad reflects that belief. Instead of outward-facing windows, riads turn inward, creating a serene, hidden world that shields its inhabitants from the noise and dust of the surrounding streets. The central courtyard, often adorned with citrus trees, a fountain, and a reflecting pool, acts as the heart of the home, offering a cool, shaded retreat from the heat and the hustle and bustle just outside the unassuming front door.
Wandering the labyrinthine alleys of Fes, the world’s oldest, busiest and largest medina, feels like stepping back centuries, tracing fingers along the carved cedar of Medersa Bouanania, marveling at the world’s oldest university, Al Karaouine, and watching artisans dye leather in open-air tanneries bathed in golden light that have barely changed in a millennium.
Next on the agenda is the reason most people visit Morocco: the mighty Sahara. The trek is long, no matter where you are traveling from, and takes you through the cedar forests of Ifrane, where monkeys scamper in the trees, through to vistas of the Ayachi Mountains and zig-zagging through the winding Tizi-n-Talremt pass into Ziz Valley, where lush palm trees and foliage line a seemingly endless oasis.
Entering the desert, the scenery shifts into surreal silence. Luxury camps welcome guests to eco tents with all of life’s luxuries (minus A/C). By late afternoon, the golden dunes welcome with wind-swept arms, as riders mount camels to trek through dunes toward the top of sand hills to watch the sun set fire to the sands and experience the most beautiful “golden hour” in the world. When the moon peaks in the sky, the drums start, bond fires ignite and villagers share stories passed down from nomadic ancestors as they trace the constellations made up of thousands of twinkling stars in the infinite sky — including crystal-clear sightings of the Milky Way!
The sunrise is a painter’s palette of pinks and golds dancing over the dunes. A thrilling ride out of the desert takes you through fossil-rich Erfoud, where marble reveals ancient ocean life frozen in stone from a prehistoric era when the Tamanrasset River (and T-Rex!) ran through what is now the Sahara. Passing through the towering cliffs of Todra Gorgesas opens up to the Dades Valley, where roses bloom and kasbahs cling to rocky cliffs like desert fortresses.
Crossing the high Atlas Mountains, is Morocco’s crowning jewel: Marrakech. Under the glow of lanterns and the echo of ancient chants, the famous bazaar of Jemaa El-Fnaa at night feels less like a place on a map and more like an open-air theater of Moroccan life in full, vibrant swing.
As twilight falls, the square transforms into a rhythmic pulse of sights, sounds and scents. The aroma of cumin, paprika and charred meats fills the air. Snake charmers perform to the eerie wail of flutes, while henna artists beckon with intricate designs. Gnaoua musicians strike up hypnotic beats on drums and metal castanets, drawing crowds into spontaneous dancing circles. Fortune tellers, acrobats, storytellers and comedians — all part of a centuries-old oral tradition — vie for attention. It’s chaotic, soulful and unforgettable.
The medina shopping experience is an exhilarating blend of color, chaos and craftsmanship. Each section of the souk hums with its own rhythm: shimmering lanterns that throw patterned light onto crumbling stone, pyramids of spices in every shade of ochre and crimson, and stalls stacked with babouche slippers, silver teapots, ceramics, textiles and hand-woven rugs. There’s no browsing without bargaining, and the dance between buyer and seller is part of the fun — spirited, playful, and always accompanied by mint tea and laughter. Most purveyors will tantalize with their wares, shift swiftly into impassioned price negotiations, and end each successful sale with a big hug, a wide smile and new friendships.
Most visitors will begin and end each trip to Morocco in Casablanca, perhaps the country’s most modern, cosmopolitan and internationally appealing city. Here, a visit to the Hassan II Mosque offers a breathtaking testament to human imagination and divine inspiration.
Suspended partly over the ocean on a platform of stone and faith, it defies both gravity and expectation. Its towering minaret reaches into the clouds, crowned with a laser that points toward Mecca, while beneath it, marble floors, hand-carved cedar, and intricate mosaics pay homage to centuries of Moroccan artistry. It is not just a place of worship — it is a symphony of craftsmanship, a sanctuary sculpted by the sea and sky, and the perfect way to bid farewell — or say hello — to this land of magic and mystique.
