How can I avoid the direct sun in Morocco

charlie

I will be in Fez & Marrakesh for 7 days at the end of April .... but a medicine I need has made me photosensitive. I would like to sightsee during the day. Any solultions to my dilemma -- such as where to find shade --will be greatly appreciated.

elvira

There IS shade (2 or 3 story buildings; palm trees) but what'll get you is the REFLECTED sun off the pavement or ground (I'm a desert dweller; trust me on this). What you can do: 1) straw hat with a brim (the Moroccans wear them so it's not too goony looking) like a bwana hat 2) long sleeves and pants..... not ONE Moroccan man I saw had bare arms or legs (they wear djallabahs or whatever those really nice robe things are called as well as long sleeved shirts and long pants). lightweight silk or cotton (gauze) shirts; cotton pants (not jeans, too hot) in light colours (like tan or khaki). socks and shoes (the cities are very dirty - like any big cities - so barefoot and sandaled isn't so smart and anyway ever burn the tops of your feet?) 3) SPF sunscreen with as high a factor as you can find.
Drink lots of water (there are plenty of bottled varieties). A lot of the hotels, restaurants, cafes, etc. seem to have shaded areas (courtyards, gardens, awnings) so there are places to get out of the sun.
Oh yeah sunglasses...your eyes will be sensitive too.
Have a good time; I loved Morocco and can't wait to go back. Oh yeah don't hire a tout at the train station or anyplace like that; get a guide through your hotel or the tourist office. Let him/her know you need to avoid the sun. Majorelle Gardens for tropical (!) plants.

Jeff Spirer

Much of the medina in Fez gets no sunlight, in fact, it can be dark in much of it. Also, consider a trip to Essaouira from Marrakech, when we were there (a few weeks ago) it was overcast for much of the two days we were there. And it's a nice place.

Cover up and wear a big hat - you can buy one in the souk on the first day.