We spent six days in Casa Blanca, Morocco and one day in Marrakech. The majority of our days were spent surfing and relaxing on the beach, especially as Casa Blanca doesn’t have a lot else. However, we did a lot of exploring too. Here’s our favourite sights and activities from Morocco:
CASA BLANCA
HASSAN II MOSQUE
This is Africa’s largest mosque, and the 7th largest in the world. When locals recommended that we visit, we didn’t think much of it, because we’re atheist. But we went anyway and it left us speechless. The feeling you get when you’re there is so peaceful and quiet, and the sea surrounding it, really adds to the beauty and calm. We loved it so much, that we went twice. The first time was during the day, so there were less people, but I would recommend, if you can only go once, to go while the sun is setting. The Moroccan sunsets were amazing anyway, but watching the sun spread over the Mosque, was even better.
Tip: There is no dress code or payment required, and the locals are very happy for you to wonder around and take pictures.
PLAGE AIN DIAB
Casa Blanca’s beach is great for surfing. You can rent boards or book lessons from huts that are all along the coastline. We rented boards almost every day and had great fun playing in the crazy waves. If you love football or gymnastics, this is the perfect beach for you. Hundreds of locals were playing matches and doing cool tricks with the ball. They also seemed to love handsprings and practising all sorts of skills on the sand. Although the beach was busy, it was very entertaining and extremely fun. The locals were very kind and talkative too.
OLD MEDINA CLOCK TOWER
Old Medina is a part of Casa Blanca, with lots of restaurants, a big market and nice architecture, including the Old Clock Tower. It’s a good place to visit in the afternoon/evening. The markets were very busy, but the sellers didn’t haggle, which was a nice change, as most markets we’ve been to in other countries, have been very overwhelming. Many stools sold Argon Oil and other beauty items, such as creams. Plus, they sold clothes and jewellery.
MARRAKECH
TRAIN THROUGH SAHARA DESERT
From Casa Blanca, it took three hours on the train to Marrakech. It only cost us £30 for a return and it added to our experience of Morocco, as for a lot of the journey we were going through part of the Sahara Desert, which was insane.
CAMEL RIDE & TRADITIONAL TEA
On arriving in Marrakech, we knew the first thing we had to do was ride a camel! Unfortunately, we have no idea with what company we went with, as we trusted our taxi driver, to take us to anywhere with camels.
We had a great time though. They dressed us up in traditional outfits and we rode through a deserted area for an hour. We rode a camel each, and it was very sweet as a baby camel followed us the whole way, too. Our tour ended by going to a local’s home, where we tried traditional tea and ate some flatbread, which was delicious. However, looking back we wouldn’t do it again, as the camels didn’t seem happy and we felt very guilty afterwards.
MEDINA OF MARRAKECH
Of course, Marrakech is famous for its markets and it was clear why. So many interesting things were being crafted along the streets and they sold so much beautiful tapestry, jewellery, clothes and ornaments. The colours and decorations around the lanes were gorgeous too. It wasn’t very busy either, which meant we could take our time and enjoy seeing all what the locals were making.
JAMA EL F’NA MARKET – SNAKE CHARMERS
This is a big square in the centre of the city, where there are lots of traditional restaurants. But the reason we visited was to see the snake charmers! It was very surreal and very crowded. If you’re scared of snakes, do not come here, because the men will sit them on your shoulders without asking or put them super close to your face. Otherwise, you should go, as it’s a unique experience.
TIP: They will demand that you pay them, for even walking close to their stool to look at the snake, so just be careful when you’re in this area.
EL BADDI PALACE
A ruined palace from 1578. It is very cheap to enter and it’s interesting to roam around. There’s some caves you can enter and some little museums too, although the majority of it, is just a large area of rocks. Perhaps save this, if you still have time at the end of your day, but otherwise it isn’t the most amazing place to visit.
Thank you for reading x
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RHYIA'S RUCKSACK 