Ghaith

About Morocco

Morocco is the tantalising lower lip on the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea, a Muslim land so rich in mystique it seems to hover like a magic carpet somewhere between myth and reality. Tangier, Casablanca, Marrakesh...just the names of these cities and towns should stir a hint of spice in the nostrils of the most geographically challenged. Many Moroccan destinations have been mythologised, and for good reason, but the more jaded traveller may well moan about the extinction of the 'real' Morocco.

Still others will extol the country's unique living history, its shimmering light, its art. The truth lies somewhere in between.

Morocco is the ideal starting point for the traveller to Africa. An easy hop from Europe, it can be a friendly, hectic and stimulating place to get around in. Open-air markets throughout the country are piled high with rugs, woodwork, and jewellery. The country's prime produce (if you don't count the hashish) is leather - said to be the softest in the world.

Travellers to Morocco should avoid political gatherings and demonstrations. Those planning to travel through the disputed territory of Western Sahara should note that armed clashes between the Polisano Front and Moroccan authorities are a possibility. Many areas of the Western Sahara are mined.

When to Go

On the coast the weather is tourist-friendly pretty much all year round, although winter can bring cool and wet conditions in the north. In the lowlands, the cooler months from October to April are popular among visitors. This time of year is pleasantly warm to hot (around 30°C) during the day and cool to cold (around 15°C) at night. Winter in the higher regions demands some serious insulation. If you're heading into the hills, the ski season usually lasts from December to March.

For most trekking trips you should book in the high season (June 15 to September 15) or you may find areas full.

Environment
Spectacularly diverse, Morocco combines sand, sea and snow in a way that Club Med developers could only dream about. The southern coast stretches to the edge of the Western Sahara while to the north the bulk of Morocco's population fills the foothills of the often snow-capped Atlas Mountains. The mountains provide a buffer against the country's dangerously rowdy eastern neighbour, Algeria.

Between the mountains and Morocco's Atlantic coast are plateaus and plains which are fertile and well-watered. In the extreme south, at the edge of the Anti-Atlas, the gorges, like the rivers that flow at their bases, gradually peter out into the endless sand and stony wastes of the vast Sahara.

The 'coolest of the hottest countries', Morocco's colder months are most un-African. In the higher regions in particular, winter conditions can be positively Arctic. In summer, the mountains are hot during the day and cool at night. The rainy season between November and April is something of a misnomer, bringing only occasional light rain.