2009 - Feb :  8 - Day  AAA  Trip to Morocco

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A group of 22 members set off for a tour of coastal Morocco and Marrakesh. This excursion was led by Chris Pollard.



We crossed the Straits of Gibraltar by jet ferry and made for the capital city, Rabat. This was an interesting opening for our tour as this city encompasses Morocco’s history – the remains of the Roman settlement of Sala (with massive stork and egret colonies), plus the stunning bronzes from Volubilis in the archaeological museum.



Right: The beautiful mausoleum of Mohammed V – the father of the modern state.


Left :In addition there is the medieval medina and casbah with a fascinating jewellery museum. In the city there is also the French ville nouvelle.





We then travelled down the coast to the busy fishing port and seaside resort of Essaouira – the former Portuguese fort of Mogador. The ramparts, the harbour with its attractive wooden fishing boats and the medina all contributed to an interesting tour which ended in a visit to a marquetry and woodcarving workshop using both the trunks and roots of the Thuya tree.
Our next location was the magical city of Marrakesh where we stayed in a beautiful Riad – a mansion built around a central courtyard right in the heart of the old town. On arrival we set off immediately for the 14thc Medersa Ben Youssef, a Koranic school. In the 16thc it was rebuilt and the intricate, Andalusian-influenced craftsmanship in wood, stucco and tile work is impressive and could be appreciated again in the royal tombs of the Saadian dynasty. Equally remarkable is the tranquil and exotic Jardin Majorelle, lovingly restored by the late Yves Saint Laurent. No stay in Marrakesh would be complete without a visit to the Unesco World heritage site - the Jamaa el Fna – a combined market, carnival and open-air theatre. We, of course, also had to visit the souk and in the pharmacy were assured that all the physical and mental ailments of mankind could be cured with their oils and lotions – some of the group made extensive purchases so look out for miracles!





From Marrakesh we travelled to Casablanca (pop about 4m) with its faded art-deco buildings and the grand or possibly grandiose modern mosque – the third biggest in the world. Our fascinating tour ended with the jet ferry back to Tarifa. We owe a big thank you to the organizers and to coach driver Manuel for piloting us through a challenging 2500 km marathon including several amazing reversing manoeuvres!