morocco part I

morocco part I

• 28 Nov 2025

One of my workmates thought I'd enjoy Morocco so I looked into what Morocco offered. After doing some research, I knew I didn't want to travel on my own in Morocco, so I investigated a few tour companies. Due to some awful experiences in the past, I haven't been on an organised tour since 2017. As most companies offered exactly the same itinerary, I booked a 13 day tour of Morocco with Intrepid and crossed my fingers that all would go well.

Wanting to spend as much time as I could in Paris, I flew into Casablanca the day the trip began. The start was a bit rocky. My flight was delayed, then the airport transfer with Intrepid was a little less streamlined than I'd hoped so I arrived 10 minutes late for the Orientation meeting. 

The next morning with our bags packed we started the day with a tour of the Hassan II Mosque. I was a bit worried the mosque might be gaudy but instead I found a thoughtfully embellished building made using only the finest materials.

The downstairs ablution area, where each lotus flower is a fountain.

The zellige tilework for which Morocco is famous.

The tile work was just as impressive in black and white.

Some brass details.

Our time in Casablanca was very short so after the tour of the mosque our group of 12 piled onto the bus for the drive to Rabat.

Due to an 'official visit', the monuments we were to see in Rabat were closed, so most of our time was spent exploring the Kasbah des Oudaias. 

The imposing gate to the Kasbah.

I managed to get separated from the group in the kasbah, so most of my time was spent scurrying around trying to relocate them so I don't have too many images to share with you. My impressions of the kasbah were of white washed walls and bouganvillea with hints of blue, reminiscent of the Greek Islands.

Inside the kasbah was a garden built in the Andalusian style.

The garden was built in the style of the Alhambra in Seville. 

The kasbah looks out over the junction between the river and the Atlantic Ocean.

After lunch in Rabat we drove on to Meknes where we spent the night and we all enjoyed a delicious home cooked dinner of chicken and quince tagine.

Our hotel was in the modern part of Meknes but we were off to visit the Medina with our ultra knowledgeable guide.

  Meknes is famous for it's many gates.                                                                                                               

Of all the cities in Morocco I visited, Meknes had the smallest number of foreign tourists and it was the least 'curated'.

 The famous Bab Mansour gate.

It was equally impressive in black and white

as it was in colour.

We made our way through the streets of the medina.

                                             

  

Meknes was my first proper introduction to Moroccan city life.

Two of the many street cats we saw in Morocco.

Meknes is the gateway to the roman ruins of Volubilis, our next destination.

It's a very dry and dusty site with little or no protection from the elements but it is in a beautiful location.

It's also a very popular site with people free to climb on the ruins.

 I was a little surprised by that.

Many beautiful mosaics have been uncovered but there are concerns the colour of the mosaics are fading due to sun exposure.

The main thoroughfare of Volubilis.

 

A black and white version.

The Arch of Caracalla

and some random Canadians I found lurking beneath the arch.

From Volubilis we drove on to Chefchaouen, the famous blue city. No-one is quite sure why the buildings are painted blue but one suggestion is it was done as a tourist attraction. If that's the reason, then it was a success.

We stayed in a funny old hotel, the Hotel Parador, that was originally built as the Spanish governor's house in the 1920s. It would have been quite glamorous in its day and I could imagine a swimsuit clad Sophia Loren lounging by the pool. 

After we arrived I went for a walk around the town and discovered the only green mosque in the town. I was invited by a shop owner up to his terrace for a view over the city.

I had a quick look around before night fall knowing the next day I had a full morning to explore the town.

I came down for breakfast and I caught the hotel staff napping, literally, and found the breakfast room in darkness. The hotel was a bit Fawlty Towersesque.

I walked down the hill to the bottom of Chefchaouen to the market only to find it closed so then I made my way up the hill heading towards the Spanish Mosque.

The blue of the city was dazzling and in so many hues.

Even the meters were given a touch of blue.

Blue has always been my favourite colour.

Unfortunately I kept getting lost so I didn't make it to the Spanish Mosque.

I did find these cute construction workers, sleeping on the job.

The school run.

Not everything is painted blue.

When it was clear I wasn't going to make it to the Spanish Mosque, I walked down to the spring at Ras el-Ma where the communal laundry is located. I asked for permission to photograph the ladies and one lady agreed to my request.

Fruit is also washed in the spring, where these pomegranates were photographed. The path to the Spanish Mosque is directly across from the spring so I'd been heading in the wrong direction the whole time.

I visited Morocco during orange and pomegranate season and I enjoyed a freshly squeezed juice most days. What a pretty display across from the hotel.

I'll leave you with a final montage of ' the blues' of Chefchaouen. 

I took more than 600 photos during my 2 weeks in Morocco, so I'll spread them over a couple of posts. I'll be back next week with Part II of my trip to Morocco.

See you all again soon.

Bye for now,

Jillian