Morocco & Gibraltar

Day I

We arrived at Marrakech Menara Airport at about 7:00 a.m. Since check-in at our riad was not until 3:00 p.m., we walked to the medina on foot. The road was long and straight, with heavy traffic and not much to see along the way.

Once we reached the medina, we bought khobz, the traditional bread, along with tea for breakfast. After wandering around until check-in time, we finally got into our accommodation and immediately fell asleep because we had barely slept at Malaga Airport the night before.

After waking up, we had tagine and then went straight back to bed.

Day II

The next day, we visited Ben Youssef Madrasa, which was once the largest Islamic college in the Maghreb. After that, we spent the rest of the day exploring the medina and had couscous for dinner.

Day III

We did not have much planned for the third day, so we took a slow walk through the newer part of town.

We also went to the train station, which we would return to two days later. On the way, we passed Théâtre Royal, one of the more interesting buildings in that area.

After a small lunch, we visited Jardin Majorelle. It was a welcome break from the heat, and the garden was worth the 95 DH student ticket.

Day IV

The next day, we decided we had seen enough of Marrakesh and wanted to head farther afield.

We went to a bus station near Jardin Sidi Mimoun, not quite sure what to expect. To our surprise, a modern air-conditioned bus was waiting. We boarded the L25 and headed toward Ourika, where a single ticket cost us about 7.5 DH.

From there we wanted to continue into the mountains, so we looked for a taxi. Because of my poor French, we did not manage to get a shared taxi and ended up paying 200 DH for a private ride to Sti Fadma.

When we arrived, a tour guide immediately came to our taxi to offer us his services. He turned out to be friendly, so we decided to go along with it. The walk was beautiful and the scenery was the kind I would rather let the photos explain.

On the way back, thanks to our guide, we managed to get a shared taxi all the way to Marrakesh for 120 DH.

Day V

On the fifth day, we took a train to Rabat, Morocco’s capital. The classic coupe carriage made the ride comfortable, and the scenery along the way was pleasant.

After arriving in Rabat, we went to our lodging on the outskirts of the medina. After a short break, we explored the city on foot, including the beach and Bab Oudaya, with its large graveyard nearby. A journey by tram is also possible in this city.

Later in the evening, we wanted to visit the Royal Palace, but the only way in was with a guided tour before 17:00.

Day VI

The next day, we took a train to Tangier. It was a modern carriage, similar to a French TGV, and there was a high-speed line between Kenitra and Tangier. A high speed rail is also planned all the way to Marrakech in the future.

Once we arrived, we had some time to spare and explored the beach, which was about ten minutes from the station on foot. Later, when we got to our booked flat, the Booking address did not exist and a group of men near the complex offered us a replacement apartment at a higher price. I made the mistake of accepting, and we ended up in a dirty, smelly place.

That night was not helped by Morocco winning a World Cup match, so we had little shut eye.

Day VII

On the last proper day, we took a ferry to Tarifa. We had to get up early, but otherwise the journey was smooth.

We then took a bus to La Línea de la Concepción, where our next lodging was located. After dropping off our bags, I took a quick walk to Gibraltar. I ran up the rock and, although there is normally an entrance fee, arriving late enough (after 6:00 PM) meant nobody was manning the booth, so I got in for free. The view from the top was stunning, even if the weather was a little too hot for my taste. The monkeys were also less present than expected.