Category Archives: Medina

From Marrakesh to Tangiers

19 to 27 March 2026

The last part of our journey in Morocco was big cities, a change after deserts and mountains.

We started our tour of Marrakesh in the new town of Gueliz. Christians were not allowed to live in the old city, they had to live outside. In their early days they built churches, so this area takes its name from the French word for church église.

We were taken to admire the Katoubia Mosque. It’s the largest mosque here and one of the oldest in the world (built between 1184-1199). It is active, so not possible to visit inside.

Yves St-Laurent had retired here to Marrakesh. I really was looking forward to our visit to his gardens, Les Jardins Majorelle. It is a magnificent space of bamboo, cactus and very tall palms and a lot of running water. We saw frogs, fish, birds and turtles. I am sure YSL was inspired by these wonderful plants in his designs. The cactus appeared mostly to come from Mexico.

We were now contending with crowds of tourists, something we had not seen to date, and quite a challenge to take photos that didn’t include someone’s selfie.

We visited the Berber Museum within the gardens, which displayed a lot of artefacts from the most ancient people in North Africa. They were collected from the Rif Mountains to the Sahara by Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent. It was a wonderful follow up to our desert visits in Morocco and Tunisia. But, no photos.

The museum of Yves Saint Laurent was, at our visit, focused on his stage costumes starting with magnificent ballet costumes as a young man. I enjoyed seeing photos showing him as quite a young person. The museum included a fabulous display of outfits he designed for the French singer Sylvie Vartan and also for dancer and singer Zizi Jeanmaire. There was a lot of feathers and sequins in his costumes.

We spent the rest of the day wandering the medina and learning so much about North African life.

As we left Marrakesh we ran into a massive traffic jam – hundreds or even thousands of people streaming out of the Katoubia Mosque on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan. As we drove out of town we noticed children playing and snacking, We stopped at a café for coffee – finally coffee shops are open and men are smoking in the streets.

The people we spoke to about Ramadan have all said that it is actually a time of the year they like. It’s a time for reflection, spending time with the family, detoxing and generally looking after yourself.

Between Marrakesh and Fez we stopped at the Ksar El Aïn Asserdoun (fort) at Ben Mellal, a 17th century fortress perched on a clifftop to protect the local water supply. There was a mood of celebration on this holiday day, family groups, sharing selfies.

During Ramadan we have had to eat our lunch in private, but today we stopped at a restaurant en route and enjoyed the local salad and bread.

We were in a fertile area with groves of fruit trees, probably plums, cherries, apricots. Also cereal fields and a lot of sheep tended by shepherds. It is unusual to see sheep and goats fenced in.

We made an afternoon stop in Ifrane an alpine village at 1,680m. It looked more like France or Germany than Morocco, surrounded by cedar trees and with a tourist tram running in the streets.

After a mix up in hotels in Fez, we went out to find somewhere that served alcohol for dinner. Dinner at Restaurant L’Escale was a bonus when we met a delightful couple, Dan and Elizabeth from Romania. We returned the following two nights and enjoyed more lively conversations with our newest friends.

Our day in Fez was spent exploring the medina and the souks, rather quiet for the Eid holiday.

Our second day in Fez was a drive to Volubilis and Meknes.

Volubilis is the site of the most western Roman settlement found to date. It was developed for the all-important olives, native to this area. Our guide Mohammed was very informative and also sympathetic to our need to take photos. As well as interesting stories about the settlement, he pointed out Acanthus (specifically Acanthus mollis or Acanthus spinosus), often called Bear’s Breeches which he explained was the inspiration for the decoration on Corinthian columns.

One of our best lunches in Morocco was at the nearby Roman City Restaurant. A variety of pulses and meats in wonderful sauces and the all important Moroccan salad, washed down with their local lemon juice.

We were travelling through the middle Atlas mountains, a lower level fertile area, supporting olives and other fruits and cereal crops. Cows and sheep were tended by herders. Donkeys are an important local transport, particularly climbing up hilly paths between villages. We made an interesting stop at a roadside café/caravan, literally parked at an intersection in the middle of nowhere.

Our introduction to the blue village of Chefchaouen was at a lookout above the town where you can don Arabic style scarves and be photographed embraced by a heart.

Our driver helped us search for some beer or wine in Chefchaouen, but none could be found – a couple of dry nights awaited us.

We took a long walk through the main town, admiring the blueness of the local buildings.

The next day our driver took us up the hill, from where we could explore the old medina.

We stopped at the Ethnographic Museum in Plaza Uta el-Hammam, which was rather disappointing, however it was set in delightful Andalusian gardens of a 15th-century Kasbah. We climbed the beautiful Portuguese Tower for a view of the village.

The medina is a photographer’s paradise – beautiful blue and white buildings and colourful local artefacts. It was a great place to “get lost” and then find your way back.

We enjoyed our standard lunch of Moroccan salad with bread before returning to our hotel to rest before dinner.

It was a shorter drive to Tangiers and we arrived in time to take a short walk before settling into a more civilized bar and restaurant.

A famous part of this medina is the American Legation house. Morocco was the first country to offer the new United States a consulate.

Our day tour of Tangier took in the Medina, which is very much more orderly others we had visited. The influence of Europe was evident, as were the day trippers. It is a short boat trip from Algeciras in Spain. The OpenFerry web site says it all…

Prepare for a thrilling ferry journey between two continents! The trip from Algeciras to Tangier Med is your fast and direct gateway from the sunny shores of Spain to the vibrant heart of Morocco.
As you depart from the bustling port of Algeciras, you’ll be treated to a spectacular view of the iconic Rock of Gibraltar as you sail across the famous Strait. In no time at all, you’ll arrive at Tangier Med, Morocco’s modern and efficient port, just a short drive from the city of Tangier itself.
Here, a world of blended cultures awaits. Tangier is a city where historic medinas meet elegant boulevards, offering a unique mix of European and North African influences. Beyond the city, a landscape of adventure unfolds, offering easy access to the majestic Rif Mountains and the captivating blue town of Chefchaouen. Opting for the ferry means a seamless, stress-free journey with the freedom to bring your own vehicle. This short but scenic crossing is the perfect way to begin your Moroccan adventure, with the unique thrill of arriving by sea.

In the afternoon we toured around Tangiers, visiting Cap Spartel, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean and the iconic Hercules Cave. New modern suburbs showed off a more wealthy part of Morocco – but it lacked the wonderful atmosphere the old cities have.

And it was back to our hotel for an early, with alcohol, dinner and preparation for an early departure for Spain. The only down side was the hideous Ryan Air flight.

This is a story about travelling from Marrakesh to Tangiers. I’ve written more about the medinas and souks of Marrakesh, Fez and Tangiers here.

Medinas of Morocco

19 to 26 March 2026

One of the joys of travelling is exploring the old market places that are the heart and soul of any city. We even enjoy wandering through a local supermarket and examining what is offered.

The medinas in Morocco and Tunisia are a little more complex than a simple market. They are in fact a city’s old town or historical centre. The souk or market is just a part of the town. There are also palaces, mosques and homes.

Visiting these medinas during Ramadan created further interest. There’s more to tell in this story. Here I have concentrated on the medinas. The next post tells of the journey from Marrakesh to Tangiers.

Marrakesh

Marrakesh’s medina is one of the most famous and certainly the craziest. When we visited it was full on with locals, tourists and motor scooters all competing for space along the twisted, narrow lanes. Really quite a challenge to not be lost or bowled over.

Meat hangs from hooks over the counter, colourful arrangements of fruit and vegetables are piled high, spices and incense arouse your senses and trades people continue their crafts.

Our guide, Fatima, pointed out some of the curiosities of Muslim life.

Homes are very private, and you don’t visit unless invited. However if you do visit you must use the outer door knocker, which sounds different to its counterpart on the inner door. This is a warning for the women to cover up and be modest for this visitor. The patterns on the door also indicate how many rooms are inside.

We were shown a hamman (bathing house). There are different entry times for men and women. Women will bring all they need, such as buckets to wash with, a plastic mat to stand on as well as changes of clothes and towels. You see them enter with large bags and young children. Men don’t bring their own buckets, they are provided.

The cleaning ritual is quite different from the daily shower, and can be regarded as an inner cleanse as well.

We stopped at the Ben Youssef Medersa. It was erected by Sultan Abdullah Al-Ghaleb Assaadi between the years 1564 and 1565 and was a specialised school for boys age 6 to 20, through scholarship or very high fees. The graduates were likely to become Imams. It closed in 1968 and was renovated and opened to the public in the 1980s. (https://www.medersabenyoussef.ma/en/histoire/)

The decorations were beautiful – intricately carved marble, brightly decorated cedar beams and colourful mosaics.

The area consisted of a large patio off the vestibule, with an Andalusian basin for ablutions. A prayer hall and student rooms. Upstairs, tiny student rooms were built around the circumference of the patio.

We visited the Herboriste La Sagesse, a spice store, where we were able to identify a lot of spices used in the local cuisine. Unfortunately we couldn’t purchase any – Australian’s are well known for looking not buying, due to our strict import regulations.

The shop was full of antiquities, such as old cameras, typewriters, scales and clocks. There was a lookout on the roof that afforded a wonderful view over the medina.

Another lonely lunch, just us sitting alone as the locals continued their Ramadan fast.. It really does leave you feeling rather awkward.

Fatima seemed to meander through the medina, pointing our leather shops (the tanners are in Fez), where the best leather comes from camels, followed by goats then cows. Then metal workers who make a comfortable living crafting jewellery and brass lanterns. Often apprenticing a son from as young as 6 to learn the trade.

The there are the wood carvers, making furniture, decorations for the home and even kitchen utensils.

We finished our tour in the Jemaa el-Fnaa (square) where there were the snake charmers and monkey handlers. It was a challenge to grab an indiscrete photo.

And to our delight, our hotel offered wine and beer with the meal. We had to endure a “tapas” style meal the first night – there simply weren’t enough visitors to open the restaurant. However we met Carlton, a proclaimed birder (twitter in Australia) from USA. He promised to call us up while he chases birds in Australia in October. Two very interesting nights with him, sharing our opinions on the demise of the USA political system.

Fez

Our day in Fez started with a visit to the gates of the largest Royal Palace in Morocco. The gates are brass, big and beautiful and a favourite selfie sight. Oh well, we just had to make do with details rather than the whole site.

Our guide, Fahed, then guided us through the old Jewish quarter. It was the end of Ramadan, and the anticipation of the Eid holiday. Many stalls were closed in the souk and the mood was quieter and less chaotic. But what was interesting was to see the medina without the distraction of the many stalls. The architecture stood out. The houses with their extended windows, the decorated doors, the arches.

We drove up to Borj Sud, the southern lookout, to get an understanding of the size of the medina. There are 900km of narrow, twisting streets and lanes, more than 40 mosques and about 9,400 houses. The size of it is astounding.

We returned to the old town to visit a pottery school, a little quieter today, but enough to demonstrate how the clay is made into tiles which are glazed and fires, then broken down to small pieces to make the mosaics.

We then wandered through the medina, learning how to recognise laneways that were dead ends, with hexagonal signs, and those that connected to other laneways. There were fruits stalls, olive stalls, butchers of chicken, goats and camels, and all types of sticky sweets.

We stopped for lunch at an old historic home, Ryad Nejjarine. We were served an enormous typical meal of soup, tajine and sweets in this beautifully ryad consisting of two floors of lavishly decorated rooms.

The ancient Qur’an school Madrasa al-Attarine was less crowded than it’s counterpart in Marrekesh so we had time to admire the beautiful architecture. These were schools where religion, the Arabic language, astronomy, mathematics, and medicine were taught.

We were treated to demonstrations of weaving at an old caravanserai (trading post). The weaving on display here is a male-dominated trade, whereas the traditional embroidery was often a hobby for wealthy women as well as professional embroiderers.

The famous tannery was quiet for the holiday – no smell! I was however amused that it was a meeting place for young men, who challenged each other hopping over the vats.

Meknes

Unfortunately, no guide appeared in Meknes and we were left to wander this ancient medina without any information. It was Sunday and still Eid, so most shops were closed however a friendly rug seller gave us some directions.

We did notice that the souk in Meknes was all about shopping for the locals, there were very, very few tourist type stalls. The clothes that were sold were intended to be worn locally with the sporty men’s gear and typical djellabas and kaftans for women. The were some butchers and fruit shops and a very popular bread shop open.

Tangiers

The white medina of Tangiers was far more ordered and the more palatial residences stood out. Ramadan had finished so there was a massive selection of cafes and coffee houses.

Our guide was an older gentleman and he took us for a quiet and easy stroll through the medina. He started pointing out the French Cafe famous with writes in the early 20th century and Villa France the 5-star hotel that Matisse made his home for 2 years.

We viewed the 9th April Square and then wandered into the food market and on to the American Legation house. Morocco was the first country to recognise the United States independence, in 1780, and in return the Sultan set up a legation for the United States. There was a lot of historical information including the legation’s involvement during World War II of Operation Torch, designed to liberate French North Africa.

There was a room dedicated to the Scottish artist and etcher James McBey and his American wife, photographer and bookbinder Marguerite Loeb. They lived in Tangiers for 20 years.

We spent some time in the Museum of Mediterranean Cultures within the Kasbah (fortifcation) of the Medina, overlooking the straits of Gibraltar. Along with ancient artifacts, there were beautiful rooms of arabesque style and marble fountains. I enjoyed following a tortoise in the courtyard gardens.

We finished our guided tour wandering through the Big Market, past the oldest cinema in Tangiers and amazing Spanish architecture.

So we were well versed in Medinas. But that isn’t the only story. I’ve written separately about our journey from Marrakesh to Tangiers.