Morocco's colourful, pungent and frenetic centres are the perfect opposite to the vast expanses of pale, mystical desert and the rugged ridge of the Atlas Mountains. The main cities, built around their incredible marketplaces, have been hosting visitors for centuries, first those on the great trade routes, then those in thrall to the exoticism of the east, and of Africa.
There's so much to experience here, from assailing great mountains, to parasailing and learning to roll cous cous to learning to haggle for rolls of rugs. But whatever you do you'll need somewhere to relax at the end of the day, and the best places to stay in Morocco all offer that chance to unwind over a mint tea.
Marrakech promises romance and a touch of exoticism, but not everyone expects it to be so exhilirating! Its old souks, ancient and beautiful architecture, maze of streets and a whirlwind-like Medina experience like no other, qualify it for many a bucket list. Though if you're just looking for some winter sun you've also come to the right place. Either way, after your adventures getting lost amongst the colours and smells and crowds and dust you'll welcome some time being pampered in one of Marrakech's traditional hammams, or Turkish baths.
Fez, the old, and ancient capital, overwhelms the senses with its colour, noise and cacophony of smells. The medieval Medina of Fez, with its 90,000 streets and alleyways, is partly covered so you get some respite from the sun, but none from the spitting camels, menagerie of animals, and the entrepreneurial spirit of vendors. Pick through the nicknacks and you will find hidden treasures here - but remember that haggling is a way of life. Or just eat your fill from a wonderfully enticing spread of street food. Head to the madrases if you need respite. The tanneries and dying pits of Fez are also a fascinating place to visit, and of course this city has some of he world's most treasured Arabic architecture.
Essaouira spreads along a long sandy strip of Morocco's Atlantic coast, the kind of place you'd imagine Peter O'Toole's Laurence of Arabia riding in to off the desert. Definitely Moroccan, but with a European familiarity. What wouldn't work for the filmic Laurence is the backdrop swooping with windsurfers and kitesurfers. It's these active travellers who've helped protect Essaouira's natural charms from becoming over touristy. Today the busy medina is just as important as a market place as it ever was. This port is not just a pretty museum to a past life, it's still vibrant.
If you want the desert you might consider Ouarzazate, a quiet town at the base of the High Atlas mountains in Saharan Morocco, for a long time a waypoint for traders between Africa and Europe. But if you want to see our experience something of Morocco's Berber culture you'll need to journey into the High Atlas. Aït-Benhaddou, with its mud brick buildings is one of the best known of the tiny Berber villages which cling to these mountains - probably because of its World Heritage Status. Amizmiz is another well known town, this time it's probably because it has one of the largest Berber souks in the area.
If you've come to Morocco for adventure you'll also want the High Atlas mountains. Jebel Toubkal is probably the tallest of them: it's both one of the highest mountains in North Africa, and a very achievable summit - it can be done in two or three days.
If you know which part of Morocco you'll be exploring skip through to our Moroccan Destination Guides: