6 cities in Morocco and their cultural and gastronomic specialties

Marrakech is the fourth largest city in Morocco and has more than one million inhabitants. It is often called "the red city" because of the color of its ramparts and its local ochre-colored sand.

Major tourist city very well served, Marrakech has two faces. The traditional district, the medina, inside the walls, and the modern district, the Guéliz. A third district, the so-called winter district, is more upscale and houses villas and luxury hotels. You will also find many monuments such as the El Badi Palace or the Ben Youssef Medersa.

One cannot visit Marrakech without tasting and exploring the many dishes specific to its cuisine. The culinary specialties of Marrakech's gastronomy are colorful and rich in flavor. On the menu of your stay: tajines, couscous, tanjia, briouates, pastilla, but also and especially the famous pastries and the incomparable mint tea.

Chefchaouen: the blue pearl

For the small streets of its medina where the white takes on a bluish hue. For the Kasbah square, an ochre relic of a bygone past, lined with bars. Chefchaouen is a destination not very known in Morocco. But this city has a charm and a unique setting to spend magical moments in the heart of the mountains of Morocco. 

Let's add to this picture a unique location on the side of a Rifian mountain, and irreproachable cleanliness: Chefchaouen has won national awards for the cleanliness of its medina. The city does not have the monuments that we could find in Marrakech or Casablanca, but the city is enough for itself. 

Strolling through the medina, meeting the inhabitants, and enjoying the sunset after a short hike between the waterfalls will surely not make you regret the trip.

The dishes served in general are classic Moroccan dishes, salads, and the famous Moorish brochettes.

One of the main products of the local cuisine is the fresh goat cheese, with a sweet and particular taste.

Casablanca: the white city

Casablanca (or White Metropolis) is Morocco's largest city. It is the country's economic hub and is situated on the Atlantic coast. It is the third tourist city in the country. Casablanca tells you about its colonial past through a part of its architecture that remained intact. A lively city, it also has a large number of artistic and economic events throughout the year. With these two international fairs of the exhibition. Casablanca is the capital of Moroccan events.

It also has a range of places and monuments to see:

- The Great Mosque Hassan II, is the third largest mosque in the world.

- The Arab League Park and Yasmina Park

- The Villa des Arts Museum

- The old medina of Casablanca

- The many "Art Deco" facades.

- The cornice and its beaches.

At the level, of Casablanca Gastronomy is influenced by its economic and tourist metropolis, you will be able to taste a Moroccan couscous, a fish tajine, or other international specialties, French and others.

Essaouira: the port city

Essaouira is a small port city in southern Morocco. To visit it is to travel through all your senses. Its white and blue colored walls are soothing and offer a rather incredible landscape. The region of Essaouira is culturally very rich. Here are some experiences to do if you want to discover it:

The Borj el Baroud: also called the "Portuguese fort" is an old powder fort.

The Simon Attia Synagogue - Bayt Al Dakira is an art gallery that is now considered a cultural center.

The lighthouse of Sidi Magdoul bears the same name as the mausoleum which is next to it.

The Clock of Essaouira, it was inaugurated at the beginning of the XXth century by Marshal Lyautey.

The Skala du Port is a bastion built to protect the port and the city in the 18th century.

As far as gastronomy is concerned, being a port city, fish skewers are the specialty of the city. They are usually prepared with lemon, olive oil, and a mixture of aromatic herbs.

Fez is a city that means a lot to Morocco. The former capital, site of the oldest university in the world, it has long been a center of knowledge. Fez remains the spiritual and cultural capital.

While walking through the medina of Fez El Bali, you will discover its old streets and its sacred buildings: the Bou Inania medersa, the Attarine medersa, and its beautiful mosaics, as well as the Karaouyine mosque, the craftsmen of the coppersmiths' and boilermakers' district, the potters' souk, the butchers' district, and the electronics district. Not to mention the Chouara tannery, where you can observe the stages of leather working.

The cuisine of Fez is characterized by the sweet and salty combination, the use of fruits and vegetables, spices, and condiments. Like cumin, chili, cinnamon, ginger, parsley, and coriander. Try the delicious bread made daily in artisanal ovens. Fez is considered one of the best gastronomic cities.

Ouarzazate: the majestic

The beautiful Ouarzazate stands at the southernmost tip of Africa. Oasis, kasbahs, and verdant valleys make for a remarkable combination. Here are some activities to do in Ouarzazate if you are interested in visiting it:

First of all the crossing of the Atlas. Indeed, the region has great quality to have a rather breathtaking landscape. The crossing of the Atlas will not fail to amaze you. Its mixture of colors is a must. The peaks of the Atlas are white, the earth is red and the palm grove of the Draa Valley is a striking green.

The Atlas Studios. A very interesting activity for film lovers. The city of Ouarzazate and its region offer superb natural scenery for film shoots which has made it for years an attraction for the great producers and film directors of Hollywood and others.

Camel and dromedary rides, again, are a very common activity in Morocco, but this ride with the beautiful scenery that Ouarzazate offers will seem even more impressive.

A night in the desert: if you think you have seen a starry sky in your life, wait to see the one that the Sahara has in store for you. The Berber camps are ready to welcome you.

Among the traditional dishes, we find "Aghroum ntdount": a kind of pizza from Ouarzazate. It is presented in the form of bread stuffed with onions and fat, to which is added pepper, salt, parsley, and coriander.

Do you want to travel? Morocco is ready to welcome you!