Top 8 Things To Do In Morocco

Trekking in the Atlas Mountains, traversing the Sahara on camel-back, or surfing along the Atlantic Coast: there is a plethora of things to do in Morocco and places to explore. Heyyy,,, I know it’s been a long time since I wrote a blog post….My sincere apologies. Pausing my travels since 2020 has been very difficult for me. I mean, I visited Jamaica in 2021, but it felt like going home and not really much of an exploration for me. It was a huge change and now I am happy and comfortable to be exploring the world once again. So here I am in Morocco and I will be sharing 8 things to do while visiting:

First let me say, Morocco is a beautiful place to visit with warm, generous, and diverse people—plus a vibrant culture that’s unimaginable. Don’t believe the negativity that you see on television in America. And yes safety first—it’s always important to conduct your own research, but keep an open mind as well.

1) Camel Trekking- My sister and I booked a tour that involved a fabulous camel ride through the beautiful Saharan desert. I couldn’t leave without hopping on a camel ride and heading into the sand dunes. Here’s a word of advice as you prepare for a camel ride: It's certainly the most challenging part of the whole riding experience, so you should definitely prepare for it by limbering up and doing some light stretching (your whole body, especially your groin and thighs) before attempting to mount your camel. When I first attempted to go on the camel, it was difficult and I had to stretch my thigh. But you live and learn. However, it’s a beautiful ride!!

2) Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone - Stepping off the plane in Morocco will find you immersed immediately in an unfamiliar culture. The sights, the sounds, and the customs will overwhelm your senses and bring out your true adventurer side. My sister and I travel a lot around the world and we still had a culture shock in Morocco. This was because we thought that we were staying at a traditional hotel in a familiar area where you step out and everything is outside. Oh NO! We stayed in a Riad—In general, a riad is a building in the medina with rooms and common areas around a central courtyard. They’ve existed in Morocco for centuries. The inside of the Riad was gorgeous, however… we were not so happy with the Riad location because we felt like we were in a maze. It was intimidating because of location-but close to the end of our stay we did overcome this challenge. So if you’re up for it, spend some time wandering the old medinas, haggling in the souks and observing the daily life.

our riad

3) Experience the Marrakech or Essaouira Markets- Marrakech has a lot of tourists and its known for its infamous hustle and bustle. My sister and I experienced this daily by visiting the markets. The city’s busy souks and markets are where you can jump right into local life. Get henna done, sit down for tea with the locals, and leave with many more souvenirs than you could possibly ever need!

4) Indulge In The Foods- I wish I had taken a cooking class in Morocco like I did in South Africa because the food was amazing!! The country’s national dish that I wished I learned how to cook is Tagine. Tagine consists of vegetables and meat (usually lamb), and is slow-cooked in an earthenware pot. My sister and I mainly ate the tagine cooked with chicken and it can be found on almost any traditional menu in Moroccan restaurants. Below you will see pics of the tagine and other delights.

Chicken Tagine

vegetable soup

tuna sandwich, pizza, fries

5) See The Moroccan Tree Goats- Don’t ask me why these goats are in the tree—I don’t know exactly, but I was curious to see them on my way back from Essaouira. Morocco has some very unique sights, but perhaps the most peculiar of them all are these tree-climbing goats. These goats are found in the Sous Valley climbing in the Argania Tree searching for food.

6) Trek The Atlas Mountain- this mountain is the largest and highest in the African and Arab world. What a beautiful scenery was my thoughts once climbing to the top of this mountain. Don’t get me wrong, I was tired and out of breath, but I did it. A win is a win! Our tour guide Yousseff was so kind and generous as we hiked and that made me feel safe. If you plan on visiting and need a tour guide—I can recommend Yousseff if needed. Tip to remember..wear comfy shoes and clothing-and pack light.

7) Take A Day Trip To Essaouira- I enjoyed my day trip to this seaside community that was filled with color, the freshness of the ocean, the sounds of the waves, and culture. This is a good trip if you want to escape hectic Marrakesh for some time. By the way—if you’re looking to eat pasta, you can find some delicacies in Essaouira. Thank me later.

8) Visit The Famous Argan Oil Factory in Agadir- My sister and I visited two argan oil factories because we had two tours that included it in both their packages. It was a very interesting and delightful process to watch. It was only women who worked in the factories—mainly divorced women. It was also nice to see Moroccan women being empowered by making their own money. We were able to see how this culinary and beauty staple is produced from the thorny argan tree and shopped the products also. I highly recommend this tour if you’re someone like me who uses argan oil for hair or skin.