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Tourist Places to Visit in Marrakech (Marrakesh), Marrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz, Morocco, Africa

Marrakech, also spelled Marrakesh, is a city and the capital of Marrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz region of Morocco, geographically positioned at 31°37′48″ N 8°0′32″ W. It is not merely a city but also holds many important titles behind it such as the cultural capital, the tourism capital, the historic capital and the 4^th largest city of Morocco. Marrakech is located at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, around 230 km southwest of the country’s largest city, Casablanca and 320 km southwest of Rabat, the capital of Morocco. The tourism of Marrakesh is focused on its old fortified city or medina, which is the site of many top class historic palaces and mosques.

 

History of Marrakech:

The history of Marrakech is very long, sublime and strong.  Marrakech has been inhabited since the Neolithic times, initiated by Berber farmers. The credit of the foundation of Marrakesh goes to Abu Bakr ibn Umar, who founded the city impressively in 1062. There is no certain theory about the origin of the name Marrakech, although one theory claims that, the name of Marrakech is the combined form of the Berber language words mur and akush.

 

Getting Marrakech:

Getting Marrakech would not be a difficult task for visitors as the city hosts an international airport with the scheduled flights from all the important European cities, including London, Paris and Madrid. The airport is situated around 7 km southwest of the downtown Marrakesh.

Marrakech is one of the few cities of Morocco to be served by train. The train service links Marrakesh to Casablanca, Fes and Rabat. CTM, Pullman du sud and Supratours are the recommended bus operators connecting Marrakech to the rest of Morocco.

 

Culture, Shopping and Food in Marrakech:

The Marrakech Museum is the place where tourists can get the complete package of Marrakech’s tourism as the building itself a great attraction and also houses a wide collection of objects displaying the city’s culture.

The Djemaa El-Fna is the central market of Marrakech, where visitors can bag everything including precious local artworks.

Marrakech is famous for cuisine, holding dozens of international and traditional restaurants all around the city.

 

What to do in Marrakech?

• Visiting spas
• Arenas 4×4 Tours
• 4X4 Camel tours
• Toubkal Guide Day Tours

 

What to see in Marrakech?

 

La Palmeraie:

La Palmeraie is a popular tourist spot outside the Marrakech city, home to around 150,000 palm trees and many typical traditional hotels in the area of 13,000 hectares. This site is also famous among visitors for camel ride.

 

Djemaa El-Fna:

Djemaa El-Fna is a colorful square in the centre of the old town or medina of Marrakech. This square is famous for the presence of local musicians, dancers, story tellers and vendors. The square turns into a paradise during night.

 

Koutoubia Mosque:

The Koutoubia Mosque is close to the square of Djemaa El-Fna, dominated by the minaret that is compared to the Eiffel Tower of Paris. It is great to see minaret during night. Non Muslim visitors are not allowed inside, but one can have the beauty of the mosque from outside.

 

Majorelle Gardens:

Comparing other tourist attractions in Marrakech, the Majorelle Gardens is more expensive, MAD50 entrance fee. Other than hundreds of plant and flower species, including cactus species, the garden also features a small Berber Museum and Majorelle Café.

 

Dar Si Saïd Museum:

The Dar Si Saïd Museum is a museum, focused on showcasing the features of the woodcraft industry of Morocco, with collections of wood carvings, musical instruments, carpets, ceramics and weapons. The entrance fee is Dh 25.

 

What remained to see in Marrakech?

• Menara Gardens
• El Bahia Palace
• El Badi Palace
• Ben Youssef Madrassa
• Jardin Majorelle
• Rahba Kedima Square
• Maison Tiskiwin
• Miaara Jewish Cemetery

 

When to travel Marrakech?

The climate of Marrakech is classified as hot semi-arid, which keeps the city’s winter mild and damp and summer hot and dry. From March to May and from October to November is considered as the best time to travel Marrakech.

 

Where can stay in Marrakech?

Everything is in the list of Marrakech’s hospitality industry, from star rated hotels to budget camping and hostel options, although, getting it during peak season would be a challenging task. So book your favorite accommodation well in advance. Some world class hotels in Marrakech are listed below:

• Riad le Clos des Arts
• Riad Aguerzame
• Riad Kheirredine
• Riad Noir d’Ivoire
• Dar Ayniwen Villa Hotel
• Riad Dar Oulhoum
• Riad Kniza
• Maison MK
• La Maison Arabe
• Riad Elizabeth
• Riad Hayati
• Riad Dar One
• Riad Al Massarah
• Riad El Mansour
• Riad Dar Anika

Best Tourist Places to Visit in El Aaiun (Laayoune), Western Sahara, Morocco, Africa

El Aaiun, or Laayoune, is the capital city of Western Sahara, a disputed territory of Morocco since 1976. It is also the administrative centre of the Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra region, situated around 1100 km southwest of Casablanca, the largest city of Morocco. The city is detached by dry river of Saguia el Hamra, located between 27°9′13″ N latitude and 13°12′12″ W longitude. El Aaiun experiences a mild desert climate with an average temperature of 20°C per year. El Aaiun is home to the famous football club, called Jeunesse Massira, which is the part of the Moroccan premier league.

 

History of El Aaiun:

The Spanish colonizer Antonio de Oro was the founder of El Aaiun, founded in 1938 and promoted it as the capital of the Spanish Sahara in 1940. The name El Aaiun is the French translated form of the Arabic term ‘Layoun’, which literally means ‘the water sources’.

 

Getting El Aaiun:

Hassan I Airport is the airport serving El Aaiún with the scheduled flights from Las Palmas, Agadir and Casablanca, catered by Binter Canarias, CanaryFly and Royal Air Maroc.

Despite its position in Western Sahara, El Aaiun is well linked by bus to all the important southern Moroccan cities like Marrakech, Inezgane and Agadir.

The local transportation of El Aaiún is upgraded, served by public buses, costing around USD0.25 and petit taxis, which generally cost around MAD6.

 

Food and Shopping in El Aaiun:

The area of Sheria Mekka in El Aaiun is famous for the shopping of antique knives, jewelry, local craft and artworks.

El Aaiun is home to many pizza corners, traditional and modern restaurants. Pizzeria Samir is one of the famous options.

 

What to do in El Aaiun?

• Shopping
• Walking
• Visiting gardens

 

What to see in El Aaiun?

 

Stade Sheikh Mohamed Laghdaf:

The Stade Sheikh Mohamed Laghdaf is a multipurpose stadium, holding a capacity of around 30,000 spectators. It is used mainly for football matches and is the home ground of the football club, JS Massira.

 

Hassan I Airport:

The Hassan I Airport is situated around 2 km west of the heart of El Aaiun. It is named in the honor of Hassan I of Morocco. The airport is modern and well constructed, while its elevation measures 63 meters.

 

Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi:

The Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi was constructed during the Spanish colonial rule in Western Sahara. This former cathedral is known both for its construction and surrounding environment. It is currently used for administrative purposes.

 

Avenue Makkah al-Mukarramah:

Avenue Makkah al-Mukarramah is a well maintained and one of the important avenues of El Aaiun. The avenue features many brick colored buildings that are nice to see.

 

Other places of interest in and around El Aaiun include:

• Beaches in El Aaiun
• Mosque in Dakhla
• Beaches in Dakhla
• Windfish Pro-Center
• Centre Artisanal
• Laayoune Off Road
• Beaches in Agadir
• The Souss-Massa National Park
• Mosque Loubnan in Agadir
• The garden of Ibn Zaidoun
• Museum Municipal du Patrimoine Amazigh
• Mohammed V Mosque
• Musee Municipal de Agadir
• Imouzzer Ida Ou Tanane

 

When to visit El Aaiun?

Generally during the months between May and September is best to visit El Aaiun in Western Sahara, Morocco.

 

Where to stay in El Aaiun?

El Aaiun is home to around 15 standard hotels, of which many are located in downtown El Aaiun. Budget options can be found on the outskirts of the city. Advance booking is preferred by most hotels in the city. The prominent hotels in and around El Aaiun are listed below:

• Hotel Josefina
• Hotel Nagjir Ville
• Hotel Salwan
• Camping Sabor del Sahara
• Hotel Parador
• Le Camp Bedouin
• La Corniche
• Hotel de France
• Hotel Afra
• Ksar Tafnidilt

Places to Visit in Khouribga, Chaouia-Ouardigha, Morocco, Africa

Khouribga is a city belonging to the Khouribga Province in the Chaouia-Ouardigha region of the northeastern African country, Morocco. It is geographically positioned between 32°53′00″ N latitude and 6°54′00″ W longitude, at an elevation of 786 meters, around 120 km southeast of Casablanca, the largest city of Morocco and 200 km northeast of the focal point of Morocco’s tourism, Marrakech. Khouribga is well known for its large phosphate reserve and the city is also home to many textile, food and mechanical, electronic and electrical industries. Khouribga is also noted for its health industry, home to the higher proportion of the province’s health industry.

 

History of Khouribga:

The real history of Khouribga begins with the discovery of phosphate in the region during the French colonial period in 1923, for which, they upgraded Khouribga as a city. Since then, Khouribga has been developing towards becoming one of the prominent cities of Morocco.

 

How to access Khouribga?

The Mohammed V International Airport, near Casablanca, is the most important airport of Morocco and the closest major airport to Khouribga, located around 90 km away from the centre of Khouribga. Including New York, London and Dubai, this airport covers all the important global destinations in the world.

Khouribga has good bus connectivity to all the major Moroccan cities like Casablanca, Rabat, Fez and Marrakech.

Khouribga houses many travel agencies that offer car and bike for local travel on day or week basis.

 

Food and Shopping in Khouribga:

Khouribga is famous for handicraft shopping as the city houses nine cooperatives and a handicrafts association. The colorful handicraft products can be purchased at local market. The city also houses many standard restaurants.

 

What to do in Khouribga?

• Walking
• Shopping
• City tour

 

What to see in Khouribga?

 

Casablanca Cathedral:

Situated around 120 km away from Khouribga, the Casablanca Cathedral is a former cathedral and popular cultural centre in Casablanca, well known for cultural activities and Mauresque architecture.

 

The King Hassan II Mosque:

The King Hassan II Mosque is an iconic mosque, holding the title of the largest mosque in Morocco and the 3^rd largest in the globe. It is situated at Blvd Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah in Casablanca. Guided tour is provided at mosque from Saturday to Thursday, which costs 120 MAD per person.

 

Marrakesh:

Situated around 200 km from Khouribga, Marrakesh is the heart of Morocco’s tourism, holding many internationally recognized tourist attractions like Jemaa el-Fnaa, Menara gardens, Badi Palace, Bahia Palace, Koutoubia Mosque, Saadian Tombs and Marrakech Museum. Worth a trip to Marrakesh.

 

Rabat:

Rabat is the capital city of Morocco, situated around 150 km north of Khouribga. Rabat is the site of many important imposing structures of the country such as Hassan Tower, Bank Al Maghrib Museum, Royal Palace and Bank Al Maghrib Museum.

 

Other places of interest in Khouribga and Casablanca (around 120 km) include:

• Morocco Mall
• Stade Mohamed V
• Musee Abderrahman Slaoui
• Museum of Moroccan Judaism
• Old Medina of Casablanca
• Phare d’el Hank
• City Hall of Casablanca
• Place des Nations Unies
• Surf Globe School
• L’Eglise du Sacre-Coeur
• Notre Dame de Lourdes
• Playas Ain Diab y La Corniche

 

When to visit Khouribga?

Generally the months of April, May, September and October are ideal to visit Khouribga in Morocco.

 

Where to stay in Khouribga?

Khouribga houses limited number of modernized hotels, so it is suggested for visitors to find hotels in nearby cities like Settat, Beni Mellal and Casablanca if they couldn’t get in Khouribga. List of the reputed hotels in Khouribga and Casablanca (around 120 km) include:

• Golden Tulip Farah Khouribga
• Styles Hotel
• Residence Des Quatre Chemins
• Le Royal Mansour Meridien
• Le Trianon Luxury Hotel & Spa
• Ibis Casa Sidi Maarouf
• Jnane Sherazade
• Maamoura Hotel
• Hyatt Regency Casablanca
• Sofitel Casablanca Tour Blanche
• Club Val d’Anfa Hotel
• Art Palace & Spa
• Imperial Casablanca Hotel & Spa
• Hotel Husa Casablanca Plaza
• Atlas Sky Airport

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Kenitra, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Morocco, Africa

Kenitra is a Moroccan city, located in the Province of Kénitra in Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen of the country. It is a port city, located on the Sebou River, between 34°15′ N latitude and 6°35′ W longitude. Kenitra is situated around 50 km northeast of Rabat, the capital of Morocco and 135 km northeast of the country’s largest city, Casablanca. Kenitra houses the university, named Université Ibn Tofail and three reputed colleges, HECI Kénitra, ENSA Kénitra and ENCG Kénitra. Being a historic city, Kenitra houses many famous historic structures, including the Masjid Palestine.

 

History of Kenitra:

Kenitra originated as a trading-post, constructed by the Phoenicians under name ‘Thamusida’ in the vicinity of what is today’s city, Kenitra. The real growth of Kenitra began when it came under the French protectorate in 1910s, then it was called Port Lyautey and renamed to its current after the independence of Morocco in 1956.

 

Connectivity to Kenitra:

Rabat-Salé Airport is the closest airport to Kenitra, situated around 40 km southwest of Kenitra city and handles flights from Madrid, Amsterdam, Tripoli, Casablanca, Beauvais, Charleroi, Girona, London and Brussels.

By train, Kenitra is connected to Rabat and Casablanca, served by shuttle train TNR.

There are also regular buses plying between Kenitra and Rabat, Casablanca and other Moroccan cities.

To move within the city, visitors can wait until the arrival of bus or better, hiring a car or bike.

 

Food and Shopping in Kenitra:

Kenitra is home to all sorts of modernized as well as traditional shopping options with a wide selection of products ranging from groceries to gadgets.

List of the major restaurants in Kenitra include:

• Yamal Acham 2
• Luigi Kenitra
• Restaurant Titanic
• Aux Delices

 

Things to do in Kenitra:

• Day tours
• Shopping
• Walking

 

Tourist Attractions in Kenitra:

 

Médina of Kenitra:

The Médina of Kenitra is the focal point of Kenitra’s tourism, home to many historical structures dating from the French colonial period. The major parts of medina are Khabazate, La Cigogne and La cite.

 

Masjid Palestine:

The Masjid Palestine is one of the major religious sites in Kenitra, frequented by devotees and tourists throughout the year.

 

Rabat:

Rabat is the capital of Morocco, situated around 50 km away from Kenitra. There are several recognized tourist attractions in Rabat such as Hassan Tower, Kasbah of the Oudaias, Mausoleum Mohammed 5, National Archaeological Museum, Bank Al Maghrib Museum and Rabat beach. Buses are frequent between Rabat and Kenitra.

 

Avenue Mohamed Diouri:

Avenue Mohamed Diouri of Kenitra is famous as a site of many imposing historical structures, of which many hold more than 100 year history. There are also many restaurants and cafes in Avenue Mohamed Diouri.

 

Université Ibn Tofail:

The Université Ibn Tofail is the prime educational centre in Kenitra, holding a large campus and garden area. It is an ideal place to know the local culture and history.

 

Other places of interest in Kenitra and Rabat (around 50 km) include:

• Kasbah des Oudaias
• Mausoleum of Mohammad V
• Hassan Tower
• Medina of Rabat
• Les Jardins Exotiques de Bouknadel
• Zoo de Rabat
• Oudaia Museum
• Exotic Gardens of Rabat Sale
• Andalusian Gardens
• Rabat Old Town
• National Archaeology Museum
• Royal Palace of Rabat
• Cathedrale Saint-Pierre
• The Currency Museum of the Bank Al-Maghrib

 

Best time to visit Kenitra:

Kenitra can be visited throughout the year and the most popular time to visit Kenitra is from March to May.

 

Accommodation options in Kenitra:

There are hotels limited in Kenitra, so it is advised for visitors to get nearby Rabat, where many world class hotels are located with amazing facilities and services. Here are some prominent hotels in Kenitra and Rabat (around 50 km):

• Jacaranda Hotel
• Hotel Assam
• Hotel Mamora
• Mercure Rabat Sheherazade
• Farah Hotel
• Le Dawliz Hotel & Spa
• Riad Marlinea
• The Repose
• Riad Dar Soufa
• Hotel Berlin
• Dar Byeda
• Riad El Bir
• Riad Sidi Fatah
• Riad Oudaya
• Ryad Dar Karima