The Best Sight in Salé, Rabat, Casablanca, and the North Atlantic Coast

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Salé's most interesting sights are located in and around the medina—and there are plenty of them. A good place to start your tour is at the entrance to the medina, near the Great Mosque, which you can access from the road along the southwest city wall. Don't worry if you lose track of where you are within the medina; many a shop will distract you, but you're never far from an entry gate. If you feel like traveling a little farther afield, the Jardins Exotiques to the north of the city are well worth a visit.

Jardins Exotiques de Bouknadel

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Just 10 km (6 miles) north of Salé, you'll find the extraordinary Jardins Exotiques, which were created in the mid-20th century by a Frenchman named Marcel François, who used to play classical music to his plants. Planned to represent different regions (like Polynesia, Brazil, or Japan), the gardens are a haven for birds and frogs. There are two circuits of different lengths and the walkways and bridges make this a wonderful playground and educational experience for children, too. Since François's death in 1999, the property has been maintained by the government and a touching autobiographical poem forms his epitaph at the entrance. Many people combine a visit to the gardens with a day at the beach at Plage des Nations, another 10 km (6 miles) to the north, around 300 DH in a taxi.