John Maguire offers a candid guide to Morocco, where the Irish now go in greater numbers than ever before. It is the English, however, who have really made this place their own.
Morocco attracts over 10,000 Irish holidaymakers each year. What a terrible shame that most of us converge on Agadir, a wholly unremarkable resort in the south of the country. While sunshine is effectively guaranteed year-round, Agadir has little else to offer the curious, and nothing for the aesthete. Plus: you will spend most of your time fending off men hawking things.
If you want to see the best of Morocco, buy a seat-only ticket on the Dublin-Agadir flight, spend a night in one of the smaller local hotels (the Jacaranda Golf is the least offensive) and leave the following morning. One might go east to Taroudant, which is widely described as a mini-Marrakech, complete with medina and irritating touts. There are two hotels of note, the Palais Salam and the Gazelle d’Or. Both feel shabby, unloved; the latter was fashionable in the 1970s as a place where the international jet-set came to play. It continues to attract a handful of holidaymakers who remember reading about it 20 years ago, but the room rates are almost laughably high.
Better idea: go to Marrakech.
The four-hour drive is worth it, not simply because the Red City is such a gem. (There are, by the way, no landmarks of note; when you come to Marrakech it is less to see things than to feel them, or indeed to smell them.) It also offers a gateway to the Atlas Mountains, and the star attraction, Jebel Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa.
Do not be tempted to stay in one of the ghastly five star (sic) hotels that have sprung up outside the old city. Instead, get a room in a riad. There are hundreds of them, and many are almost impossible to find – getting lost in Marrakech is one of the classic Moroccan experiences, and it’s not just the tourists who have trouble navigating a city of dark lanes and dead ends.
If you are celebrating something special (a wedding, a birthday, an anniversary) stay in the Riad Hayati. Owned by a globe-trotting British journalist, this small property (there are four rooms) offers high-end luxury, marvelous food, wonderful service and interiors that are almost as cool and stylish as the punters who come to stay. If it is not the most elegant refuge in the city, then it is surely among the top five.
If you are on a budget, try the Riad Zolah. Also British-owned, this quirky establishment offers a remarkable array of complimentary services (internet, airport pick-up, mobile phone) and that thoughtfulness is also evident in the warm, exotic interiors. If you don’t fall in love with Fatima, one of the managers, there is probably something wrong with you.
After a few days in Marrakech you will grow rather weary of the constant attempts to buy your wife, sell you a carpet and avail of special prices. At this point you should take a taxi (if you share one it costs as little as €5) to the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, where the Kasbah du Toubkal awaits.
This massive old building has been renovated by yet another Brit, Mike McHugo, and is now operated as a tourist centre, offering “traditional Berber hospitality” in a setting that is utterly magical. I first stayed here a few years ago, and have been pining to return ever since. You traipse up to the Kasbah on the back of a mule, eat lunch on a sun-kissed terrace amid snow-covered mountains, and go off on hiking expeditions that will lift your soul and ruin your knees. It is both the most relaxing and invigorating place I know. And the food isn’t bad either.
So there you have it. Morocco can be hell, but only if you stay in a miserable resort. Get out, see the country, and meet the people. They could not be more charming, and the country itself is beautiful. Agadir ain’t no calling card.
fuck you! we do not want tourists in our country, go home and leave us alone.
Posted by: moroccan | June 29, 2008 at 23:00
There are so many magical experiences to be had from a trip to Marrakech. Definitely stay in a riad in the medina, and don't fail to visit the souks, the Majorelle Garden (given by Yves St Laurent to the city of Marrakech), the Atlas Mountains, a spa (my favourite is the Beldi Country Club), and so many fine choices for a fantastic dinner - try Le Foundouk, Bab Hotel, Dar Yacout.
Peter Mercer
Riad Dar Zaman Marrakech
http://www.darzaman.com
Posted by: Peter Mercer | December 22, 2009 at 20:10