Morocco is a wonderful country, in the truest sense of the word! It feels like travelling back in time to the world of 1001 Nights.
The cities are colourful and loud, the mountains steep, and the desert empty yet still full of magical experiences.
If you’ve never been to Morocco, here are a few facts:
Population
Capital
Largest city
Tourists in 2024
Highest mountain
Languages
Currency
Length of coastline
ca. 35 Million
Rabat
Casablanca
17,4 Million
Toubkal 4167 m
Darija, Tamazight
Moroccan Dirham
2945 km
The major part of Moroccans population is of Berber background, with a minority of Arabs mostly inhabiting the cities. So in the country side most people grow up speaking Berber and learn Arabic as a foreign language when they start school. Until very recently, Berber was not taught in school, so only the very young kids know how to read and write this language. French is also taught in school and the most widely spread European language.
Morocco is one of those few countries offering everything from beaches to mountains and deserts. So you can go surfing, mountain trekking and camel riding all within a few days.
The major cities in terms of tourism are Marrakech and Fez, Tangier, Agadir and Rabat. Chefchaouen has become “insta-famous” and is also visited by lots of tourists now, as well as Essaouira, which appeared in Game of Thrones.
There is coastline on the Mediterranean as well as the Atlantic, the latter offering perfect conditions for surfing and kite surfing.
The big mountain ranges of Morocco are the Atlas, Anti-Atlas and the Rif. They are full of small villages, some so hidden and remote, the people there have never seen foreigners. You can find beautiful waterfalls in small and big canyons, there is zip lining and hiking.
Of course one the place that attracts most people apart from the big cities, is the Sahara desert,. The big Ergs, the famous dune fields, are accessible from either Merzouga or M’Hamid. Most people only visit these rather small areas of the desert, but there is much more to see. From stony flats to dry river beds and rather harsh rocky mountains, you can find a lot of variety in the Moroccan Sahara.
