pattonsmom

Hi all-

My fiance and I are a little behind on planning our honeymoon for August. We are looking to do 2 weeks somewhere. I went to Morocco for a week long work trip in 2018 and I think we would enjoy going there.

I think ideally we would do one week in Morocco and one week in Spain.

On my trip for work we flew into Casablanca, drove to Rabat, flew to Agadir, flew back to Rabat, and then drove to Marrakech (I didn't plan it and wasn't in charge of logistics). I loved Marrakech the most out of those cities, but have also heard amazing things about other cities we weren't able to go to and would appreciate recommendations on any you've enjoyed. (Fez, Essaouira)

Ideally, I would like to avoid Casablanca, so I was thinking it would be best to fly into Spain, and then do a regional flight down to Marrakech. I'd like to stay in a small riad, and saw a lot of options on airbnb.

Additional questions:
-What should we expect price wise if we wanted to hire a driver
-What other cities would you recommend going to, and logistically how easy are they to get to from Marrakech?
-Overall "must-dos"?
-Has anyone stayed in an airbnb in Marrakech?

-Bonus: favorite cities in Spain?

MmePerdu

When considering where to stay in Marrakech in August, look for a place with AC, expect temps around 100F. Also in southern Spain.

Kathie

August is not an ideal time for either Morocco or Spain. You might want to reconsider either the destination or the time of year.

TimCullis

Ryanair do cheap flights to Marrakech from Sevilla, which in my mind is the best destination in Spain along with Barcelona.

Yes both Spain and Morocco could be over 40ºC, you don't have your location on your profile so no idea how you would find the heat.

I honeymooned in Morocco, but that was in the 1970s!

pattonsmom

Unfortunately August is the only time we have. We are from Texas and Florida and will make the best of it!

pattonsmom

I think I have our itinerary somewhat narrowed down. We will fly from DC to Seville and base the Spain portion of our trip from there. Day trip to Jerez to drink sherry and see the Andalusian horses. Possibly an overnight to Granada via the train. Then I would like to fly directly to Marrakech and have that as the base for our Morocco trip.

When I went to Morocco before I did Rabat, Agadir, Marrakech and Casablanca. This time around I would love to spend 2 days in Fez but not sure if it is worth the time lost traveling to do, or if we should just stay in Marrakech with 1 or 2 day trips mixed in. Any advice? Also we will likely be flying back to DC from Marrakech, but we haven't booked yet so still some flexibility.

Kathie

Fez was my favorite place in Morocco. But travel time is a real consideration, as you have so little time to work with. Have you considered choosing one country? I think you will have a better experience and won't feel as rushed.

pattonsmom

My fiance is a go-go-go kind of person. If he had his way we would probably add Portugal on as well hah! I think 5 days in Spain will be enough for us and we will leave the rest for Morocco. Did you go to Marrakech as well? What did you prefer about Fez? I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 days in Marrakech when I went for work, however since I haven't been to Fez I may not know what I am missing out on.

MmePerdu

I suggest 2+ nights in Essaouira on the coast for cooling sea breezes & because it's a delightful town. Relatively close to Marrakech, about 3 hours by luxury coach, very comfortable.

http://www.supratours.ma/en/
CTM - Entreprises, Transport, Voyages, Services | CTM

Kathie

I'm most interested in cultural things, so I found Essaouira rather dull. We were there for several days at the end of our trip. We had a full two weeks in Morocco, so we had time to explore many different places.

When you write that "My fiance is a go-go-go kind of person." I assume you mean that he likes to keep moving rather than that he has no interest in pursuing things beneath the surface. You can "keep moving" in one city; you don't have to change locations in order to keep getting exposed to new things.

MmePerdu

If world music is of interest Essaouira is known for Gnaoua music, during the June festival & in clubs year-round. Maybe not Kathie's thing but definitely "cultural".

vipsha

Try Northern cities like Tangiers and Chefchaouen, the blue city. We avoided these in December because we heard they could be cold and rainy but these might be just right in August. I would not venture into Marrakech and the Saharan desert in August.
I loved Granada and Madrid in Spain. Granada will be cooler than other areas in Andalusia in August so it might work well. I loved Seville, but that will be warm in August.

Berberexpert

For your honeymoon I reccomend you to visit erg chebbi sahara desert for a romantic night in luxury camp

TimCullis

Granada might have been cooler when you visited but generally it's a similar temperature to elsewhere (I live in Granada province half the year).

TimCullis

When I honeymooned in 1974 it was August and our ancient 1960s Triumph Vitesse wasn't equipped with air con. But we managed. The mountains are definitely cooler due to lapse rate. And the coast is cooler due to the cold Canaries Current—we particularly enjoyed Essaouira. Since then we've been back to Morocco literally dozens of times.

You need to get up REAL EARLY, like first light, 30 minutes before sunrise, and make the most of the relatively cool temperatures. Finish for the day around 2pm, go for a cool swim, then a siesta. Get out again in what will still be high temperatures around 7pm.

One tip—Spain will be an hour ahead, and it will help make the best of Morocco if you keep your body clock on Spanish time whilst in the country.

vipsha

I would have liked to go because I heard it has an active art scene with many emerging artists. We had to defer it to a future trip due to time constraints. I did not know about the music, I guess that is another reason to go.