Marrakech, the red city, is one of the greatest cities of Morocco. Emplaced close to the High Atlas, it has a dry Mediterranean climate, with summer temperatures over 40ºC. Founded in 1062 A.D. by Youssef Ibn Tachnifn, first sovereign of Almoravid dynasty, it still preserves important remains of its history in monuments like the Ben Youssef Medrassa, the Saadian Tombs, the Koutoubia Mosque, the Badi and Bahia Palaces or the more modern El Ajdal and Marjorele gardens, among others. It’s essential to visit here the famous Djemaa el Fna Square, UNESCO´s World Heritage, a magical place that will bring us to a fantasy world where we can be captivated among storytellers, water-carriers, snake and other animals charmers, acrobats, dentists, musicians, dancers, fortune-tellers, henna tattoo makers, orange juice, herbal remedies and dried fruits and nuts sellers... this place is all luxury for the senses.

The archaeological remains prove that the Essaouira emplacement had been occupied since prehistoric times. This is because Mogador Island protects its bay from the heavy Atlantic swell of the area, giving a natural port to its inhabitants. This was an important Carthaginian port and, in Roman times, a production centre of Tyrian purple. It fell in Portuguese’s hands short time in 16th century, and the present city wasn’t built until 18th century by Mohamed III. From the city it’s remarkable its medina, UNESCO´s World Heritage, a magical place of narrow streets where, between the numerous products of its souks, the marvellous wood works, the argan products and the excellent fish really stand out. Moreover, its musical tradition comes vouched by the famous Gnawa Festival celebrated here every summer.

Founded in 789 A.D. by Idris I and converted in the kingdom’s capital by his son, Idris II, Fes was from the beginning an important learning and spreading centre of the Islam, as it’s vouched by its religious centres, some of them, like the Kairouyine mosque close to the Karueein University, are some of the oldest mosques of all Africa. Along with the Muslim population, there has always been an important Jew community in the mellah of the city, which unfortunately has drastically decreased its number since the independence of Morocco in 1956. This city has traditionally been famous for its tanneries and for the production of the so-called “Fes hats”. It’s important to visit here the ancient medina or Fes el Bali, UNESCO´s World Heritage, which at the moment holds the record for being the widest pedestrian urban zone of the world. Its rambling and narrow streets will guide us to magnificent places like the el-Qaraouiyyîn mosque, the colourfully tanneries, the Nort Fortress, the es-Sahrij madrasa, its numerous souks and a thousand places more to discover. Outside of the ancient medina we can find places like the Marinid Tombs or the Mellah.

The history of this city began in the current area of Chellah, in the 3rd century, when it was occupied and developed by the Romans. But its real boost won’t come until the 12th century, with the construction of the fortified encampment or ribat, original core of the city, by Abd al-Mumin. His grandson, Yaqub al-Mansur, promoted the development of the city, designing the construction of one mosque which minaret would surpass the Giralda of Seville and the Koutoubia of Marrakech, project that never was completed. The city fell in decadence after the conquest of Alfonso X, The Wise, and it was slowly recovering its former splendour along the centuries until it was proclaimed Administrative Capital of the French Protectorate in Morocco, status confirmed by the autonomous government when Morocco got the independence in 1956. It’s important to see in this city the Kasbah of Oudaia, Hassan Tower or ruins of Yaqub al-Mansur mosque, where we can find the mausoleum of Mohamed V, and the Chellah necropolis, among others.

This is one of the imperial cities, emplaced in one of the most productive lands of the country, between Rabat and Fes. The origin of this city dates from the 8th century, when a kasbah was built in the area, which was occupied in the 10th century by the Berber Miknasa tribe, who gave its name to the city. Meknes had its apogee as the capital of the empire in the reign of sultan Moulay Ismael (1672-1727), but the capital was moved to Fes after his death. There are many still existing constructions and monuments from this period, including the imposing ramparts that surround the medina, with more than 40 kilometres long and with some of the most beautiful doors of the Arabian world, like Bab Mansour, the biggest door of North Africa, Bab Lakhmis or Bab Berdaine. Meknes, “the a hundred minarets city”, has been declared UNESCO´s World Heritage in 1996.

Archaeological remains of an ancient Roman city, situated 33 kilometres north from Meknes. This Carthaginian city fell in Roman hands when Caligula took the region that was called Mauretania Tingitana. This was a flourishing city, fortified by Marco Aurelio, with magnificent buildings raised along its history. Being one of the most southern cities of the province, Diocletian decided to abandon it when the influence of the Roman Empire decreased in 285 A.D. The city suffered a progressive abandonment along all the period of Arab-Berber occupation, suffering especially with the dismantling of its buildings by Moulay Ismael for the construction of the palaces of Meknes and with the earthquake of 1755.

The archaeological research of the city began in 1915 by the French, and half of the city is still to be uncovered nowadays. It has been discovered numerous residences, mosaics and many other diverse objects, where it’s especially remarkable the forum, a 2nd century basilica, the Temple of Jupiter and the Triumphal Arch of Caracalla. UNESCO´s World Heritage since 1997.

Tánger, La posición estratégica de esta ciudad en el Estrecho de Gibraltar ha supuesto que esta zona fuera disputada por numerosos pueblos desde tiempos inmemorables. La ciudad como tal fue fundada por los fenicios en torno al 1450 a.C., aunque diversos pueblos se atribuyeron su fundación en base a diversos relatos mitológicos, siendo el más famosos el relato griego que aseguraba que Heracles (el Hércules latino) durmió en una cueva cercana antes de enfrentarse a una de las doce pruebas, siendo uno de sus hijos quien fundó la ciudad. A lo largo de su historia la ciudad fue cartaginesa, romana, visigoda, bizantina, bereber, árabe, portuguesa y británica, llegando a convertirse en un importante centro para las relaciones diplomáticas europeas a finales del siglo XIX y principio del XX. La ciudad pasó a ser un condominio belga, español, estadounidense, holandés, portugués, inglés, soviético desde 1925 (a los que se unió Italia en 1928), con un periodo intermedio de soberanía española (1940-1945), hasta la independencia de Marruecos el 20 de octubre de 1956, en el que se inicia un proceso político que culmina con el reconocimiento internacional de la soberanía marroquí en Tánger en 1960.

La situación geopolítica de este enclave multicultural a lo largo de su historia ha hecho que este fuera el destino de numerosos artistas extranjeros así como la cuna de muchos otros artistas locales, convirtiéndose en la época del condominio en un paraíso para todo tipo de gente de vida bohemia.

Esta ciudad cosmopolita, de rápido crecimiento en la actualidad, presenta un atractivo especial en el recorrido de las empinadas callejuelas de su medina, en su paseo marítimo y en las cercanas y míticas Cuevas de Hércules.

Mountain town in the middle of the Rif mountain range, between Tisouka and Megou mounts, which stand over the area like two horns, giving its name to Chefchaouen (literally “look at the horns”). Founded in 1471 around a little still existing kasbah, it was known as one of the places where great part of the Moorish and Jew went after they were expatriated from the Iberian Peninsula during the Reconquest. From this city it’s significant its medina, which rambling and narrow blue streets provide a dreamy scenery to explore in order to discover all its secrets, wrapped up by the fresh and clear mountain air.

Atlantic coastal town in the north of the country, near Tanger and Ceuta. This area was amply visited by the Phoenician and the Greeks in the ancient times. The first settlement known, Phoenician, dates from the 15th century B.C. and it was afterwards a Carthaginian port which reached some splendour, reflected in the minting of it own coins when its people rebelled from the central government. It was occupied by the Romans in the 1st century B.C., who called it Julia Constancia. The name of Asilah won’t come until the Arab conquest in 712 A.D., people who made of this city a famous cultural and commercial centre. It was taken over by the Portuguese in 1471, who fortify it, and along the next centuries it was changing among the hands of Arabs, Portuguese and Spanish, due to its strategic importance. From these turbulent times it’s remarkable the medina ramparts built in the 15th century by Alfonso V. It’s known at the present time for its charming medina, its excellent fish dishes, its endless beaches and the international festival of culture celebrated here every summer.

Ouarzazate, the desert’s gateway, has traditionally been an important stopover for the caravans coming from beyond Sahara desert, though it underwent a real development in the French colonial period, in which it was an administrative centre of the protectorate. Nowadays, the city stands out because of its kasbahs, specially the Taourirt´s one, and because of its magical surroundings that have made to bring here two film studios, where it has been filmed movies like Lawrence of Arabia, Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator, Babel, Alexander, The Mummy and many other eye-catching films. It’s also an important traditional medicine place - in its pharmacies one can learn the secrets of a discipline that so many things has provided to the western medicine.

AThis is the most beautiful of the Moroccan kasbahs. Emplaced in the Draa Valley at not many kilometres from Ouarzazate, this magical place, UNESCO´s World Heritage, will transport us to a dreamy age, as the numerous movies filmed here can prove to us.

City in the very heart of Draa Valley, a fluvial oasis of verdant palm groves in the middle of the desert. Emplaced close to an Almoravid fortress, the city was founded in the French colonial period. This traditionally was a stop-by place for the desert caravans, as clearly vouches the mythic “52 days to Timbuktu” signpost in the city.

Little town at the shore of the immense ocean that is the sand desert, close to the Algerian border, and famous for being the home of the Chegaga dunes, the Sacred oasis and, little far away, the impressive Iriki dry lake.

This is the capital of Tafilalet region, heading north from Rissani, cradle of the Alaouite dynasty. Founded in 1917 by the French Protectorate, as one can clearly see in the orthogonal layout of its streets, Erfoud is emplaced inside an immense oasis used in the irrigation systems around the kasbahs of the area, fact that makes this region the main date producer of the country. In the end of the summer, the Guetna - or date gathering - takes place in a festive atmosphere that wraps the entire region. This is also one of the most important fossil extraction and manufacture centres of the world; this region was, hundreds of millions of years ago, an oceanic basin that gradually turned into low deep seas following a slow sedimentation process where loads of sea animals were retained in the ground. The result of this slow process is possible to be seen nowadays in the quantity and variety of fossils produced in the quarries of the area.

Merzouga is a small Berber town located in the southeast corner of the country, near the Algerian border. It has the greatest natural source of underground waters of all Morocco, but it has become famous for being close to the sand desert land of Erg Chebbi, home of the highest dunes of all the country.

Cosmopolitan coastal city at not many kilometres to the south of Casablanca, Al Jadida is famous for its endless beaches and the fortress built by the Portuguese, who called this city Mazagan when it was founded in 1502. The city fell in Maghrebian hands in 1769, when it was called el-Brija el-Jadida (The New Fortress) by the Alaouite sultan Mohamed ben Abdellah. The Portuguese port of Mazagan has recently been declared UNESCO´s World Heritage for being “an outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures”, and it’s especially interesting to visit here the Manueline cistern and church.

Situated at 150 km from Marrakech, this is the highest waterfall of Morocco, with a total drop of 110 meters. All the area has traditionally been planted with olive groves; this fact has given its name to Ouzoud River (“olive” in Berber), which joins Abib River just few kilometres downstream following a path that can be made on foot, among the rapids and the vegetation of the rivers and where, with some luck, it’s possible to watch several examples of wild fauna, like the kingfisher. This area is esteemed as one of the most beautiful natural surroundings of the country and of all North Africa.

Little coastal village of warm and pleasant atmosphere and endless fine sand beaches. Famous for its seafood, especially the oysters, this is an excellent relaxing stopover before we continue our way

Agadir, Ciudad costera atlántica al sur de Essaouira, y uno de los principales puertos del país, siendo el principal productor de sardinas del mundo. En 1505, los portugueses ocuparon un pequeño pueblo costero llamado Agadir el-Arba´, que renombraron como Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué. La ciudad cayó en manos de la dinastía wattásida en 1541 y en 1572 se construyó la kasbah en la cima de la colina que domina la bahía de Agadir, cuyos restos todavía se pueden visitar. Ya en el siglo XX, Agadir adquirió renombre por la llamada crisis de Agadir de 1911, entre Alemania y Francia, y que casi adelanta tres años la Primera Guerra Mundial. El 29 de febrero de 1960, la ciudad y la kasbah fueron prácticamente destruidas por un terremoto, muriendo miles de personas. La ciudad fue reconstruida por Mohamed V a dos kilómetros al sur del epicentro del terremoto. Esta ciudad es actualmente una de las más cosmopolitas de Marruecos, de gran vida nocturna, con un paseo marítimo y un puerto deportivo que no tienen nada que envidiar a los de las ciudades europeas. Además, en esta ciudad se puede disfrutar de su excelente oferta pesquera y de la práctica de distintos deportes acuáticos, como el surfing o las motos acuáticas.