If you had the choice....
 

...would you spend one week in Spain or hop on over to Morocco? My husband and I are spending one week in Seville in late September, and are deciding where to spend our second week - I was looking into options, when I thought, we could go to Morocco instead of another Spanish town. What do you think?

Jan: Morocco is a real beautiful country especially towns like Fes, Rabat, Meknes and Ouarzazate. Marrekech is a must as well, but usually very crowded. Avoid Casablanca and Tanger. Of course, it will change you from Spain quite a bit for being on a different continent, but also in a totally different culture. <BR>I am sure it's a good thing to do Morocco right after having visited the south of Spain where you can already see quite a bit of the Arab influence, esp. in the architecture.<BR>Have fun whatever you decide.<BR>

Ursula, thanks for the info - one follow up: for what reasons should we avoid casablanca, tangier? safety? crowded? dirty? please advise. THANKS

I personally would vote for going to Morocco, but that is just a dream destination of mine. Just a couple of weeks ago there was an article in the NYTimes on travelling to Morocco. <BR>If you like history with your travel, it would make a very interesting "follow the expulsion of Jews from Spain" trip.

Jan: There is literally nothing to see in Casa (as the locals call it) which is a quite a modern style city or Tanger which is special because of the important port (yes, dirty, etc.) compared to the other cities which are just breathtaking.The more south in Morocco, the better.<BR>PS: The Moroccan food is absolutely amazing.<BR>

Go to Morocco for at least a week. Skip Tangiers - dirty, ugly port city. Casa is ok, but there are prettier places to spend your time.<BR><BR>Fez, Meknes, Chefchaouen, Marrakech, Ourzazate... the kasbahs/medinas are crowded, but that's what they're supposed to be - Moroccans going about their daily business of shopping and going to work and school...<BR><BR>Yes, the cities are dirty, but it didn't bother me - I guess it was because it's people-dirt (not sewage, but papers and cigarette butts, that sort of thing), not industrial pollution.<BR><BR>Moroccan Islam is more moderate; the majority of the people are Berbers, not Arabs. The country depends a great deal on tourism for its economy, so is very welcoming to travelers.<BR><BR>Before you go, get a good guidebook on the country (I don't usually like Lonely Planet guides, but the one for Morocco is pretty good) to learn some of the culture and habits so you'll feel more comfortable in your travels.<BR><BR>Enjoy this fascinating, irritating, confounding, and enticing piece of the world.

Reposting

Oops, here it is:<BR><BR>Author: Kat ([email protected])<BR>Date: 03/20/2002, 01:24 pm<BR>Message: Ellen<BR><BR>I agree with Angel and Stay in that Tangier is a pit. However, I am glad that my husband and I took our 2 sons there for a day trip when we were staying in Spain. It certainly made us appreciate life in the U.S. My youngest son still rubs his neck if you mention Tangier - he vividly remembers the chickens hanging from the ceiling in the market with their necks wrung. Be sure to bring a perfumed hankerchief, the stench in unbearable. But where else can you see a real life snake charmer and ride a camel on the beach. If you do go via ferry, try to visit bathrooms before boarding. The toilet facitlities on the ferry are beyond disgusting. <BR><BR>By the way, don't miss Gibraltar. The barbary apes alone are worth the visit.<BR><BR>Kat <BR><BR>

personal preference, but I would stay in Spain. If you are already doing day trips to other southern towns from Seville, go someplace else for the second week. possibilities:<BR>1. Madrid: worth a couple of days itself, plus a good base for Toledo, Segovia, Escorial. Could do longer trips to Avila and Salamanca.<BR>2. Barcelona: itself, plus the Catalan coast.<BR>3. Galicia/Asturias/Cantabria/Basque country: or some part thereof. It's my favorite part of Spain. You could drive the entire north in a week, but it would be a bit rushed. I would focus on Galicia and Asturias, but the Basque country is also great.<BR><BR>