234 Best Sights in Morocco

The Ammeln Valley is becoming a magnet not only for climbers but also for nature lovers and hikers. A walk in the valley might start at the village of Oumesnat, where the Maison Traditionelle is well worth a visit.  Wear sturdy shoes for the short walk from the car park. At a museum in a traditional Amazigh house, the caretakers will happily explain the old ways of the Anti-Atlas, introducing you to domestic implements, the tea ceremony, and the local women's embroidered black wrap, the tamelheft. Express your appreciation for the tour by tipping generously. From Oumesnat you can follow paths to the neighboring villages. Taghdicte makes a good base for ambitious Anti-Atlas climbers. 

The grand carved doors on the mosque's north entrance, domed Zenet minaret, and detailed cedarwood carvings in the eaves (which bear a striking resemblance to those in the Musée Nejjarine) are the main things to see here, as the mosque itself is set back on a small elevation, making it hard to examine from outside. It was built in AD 859 by Mariam, sister of Fatima al-Fihri, who had erected the Kairaouine Mosque on the river's other side two years earlier with inherited family wealth. The gate was built by the Almohads in the 12th century. 

This unique floral and sculptural garden is a must-visit attraction if you are in the area. Andre Heller, the renowned multi-media artist created this destination to bring together local flora and fauna with his avant-garde style. The garden is a delight to walk in and perfect for visitors of all ages. Stop for a drink or bite at the onsite cafe during your visit. A free shuttle is also included from Marrakech twice daily. 

Rising out of fertile plains and olive groves, the impressive triumphal arch of Volubilis is the center point of the ancient Roman site. Decorated only on the east side, it is supported by marble columns, built by Marcus Aurelius Sebastenus to celebrate the power of Emperor Caracalla.

This small but interesting museum holds a collection of Roman mosaics and statuettes, coins, bronzes, and pottery found at various sites in northern Morocco, including Lixus. It also has pictures of the archaeological site of Tamuda (which resembles Stonehenge), where Anteus is fabled to have been buried after his battle with Hercules. There are further exhibits in the Andalusian-style garden.

If you're looking for things to do in Ouarzazate, visit Atlas Studios—Morocco's most famous studios—next to the Hotel Oscar. Guided tours start every 45 minutes, and the price is discounted if you're a guest of the hotel. It isn't Universal Studios, but you do get a sense of just how many productions have rolled through town—including Hollywood blockbusters like The Mummy and Gladiator, and classics like Cleopatra and Lawrence of Arabia.

Ask for Mohammed Brad Pitt as your tour guide.

For another angle on the Ouarzazate film industry, check out the rather grand-looking kasbah off to the right just out of town on the way to Skoura. One enterprising local producer, frustrated by the increasingly expensive charges being levied on film crews wanting to film around real kasbahs, decided to build his own and undercut the competition.

Morocco is a magnet for fossil fans, and much of the activity centers on the town of Alnif, on Route 3454/N12 between Rissani and Tazzarine. About 13 km (8 miles) west of Alnif is Auberge Kasbah Meteorites where you can enjoy a simple lunch, a dip in the immaculate pool, and a two- to three-hour excursion with a guide who'll show you the best places to hunt for fossils and ancient stone carvings. Bedrooms are clean and bright should you decide to stay over so you can explore the region in greater detail.

Created in 1928, this ethnographic museum was moved to its current home in 1948; the building is the former fortress of the Alaouite Sultan Moulay Abderrahmane, built around 1830 and surrounded by an Andalusian-style garden. The museum has a wonderful collection of items relating to the city, including traditional costumes, jewelry, weapons, Arab-Andalusian musical instruments, and other handcrafted objects. Look out for the Tetouani embroidery, which is among the most ornate in Morocco.

Named after the seven brothers of Moulay Abdellah, who reigned during the 18th century, the Bab es Seba (also known as Bab Dekkakin) connects two open spaces originally designed for military parades and royal ceremonies, the Petit Méchouar and Vieux Méchouar. It was from this gate that the corpse of Prince Ferdinand, brother of Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal, was hanged head-down for four days in 1443 after being captured during a failed invasion of Tangier.

Currently an art gallery, this city gate was built by Yaqoub al Mansour in 1197. To see it, go outside the city walls and look to the right of the modern arches. Originally a fortification, the gate has an elaborately decorated arch topped by two carved shells. The entrance leads into a room with no gate behind it; you have to turn left into another room and then right into a third room to see the door that once led into Rabat.

A heavily fortified town for centuries, Salé still has many traces of its eventful history preserved within the old medina walls, and many landmarks are national heritage sites or monuments. The magnificent Bab el-Mrissa is one of the oldest and largest gates in the country; built by an Almohad sultan in the 13th century, it was linked to the river by a canal. On the northern wall next to the Bab Sebta, there’s an 11th-century, square-shape fortress. Looking over the mouth of the Bou Regreg River, is the Borj Adoumoue or Bastion des Larmes (Bastion of Tears); the current building dates from the 18th century, and cannons gaze over the water to this day.

A historical, cultural, and spiritual landmark in Essaouira, this museum in the Mellah dedicated to Jewish heritage and culture celebrates the Moroccan Jewish culture that once dominated Essaouira, as well as the continuing mutual respect between Muslim and Jewish communities in Morocco. Within the space are the Simon Attias synagogue, the museum Bayt Dakira, and the Haim and Célia Zafrani International Research Center for the study of the history of relations between Judaism and Islam. The exhibits are based around rare objects and photographs illustrating the history of Jewish life and culture in the area. 

After the Koutoubia, this is the medina's largest mosque and Marrakesh's oldest. The building was first constructed in the second half of the 12th century by the Almoravid sultan Ali ben Youssef, around the time of the Qoubba Almoravid monument. In succeeding centuries it was destroyed and rebuilt several times by the Almohads and the Saadians, who changed its size and architecture accordingly; it was last overhauled in the 19th century, in the then-popular Merenid style. Non-Muslims may not enter.

The small Amazigh village of Bhalil, an off-the-beaten-track gem around 5 km (3 miles) from Sefrou, is built across a hillside, with picturesque pastel-color houses that line the narrow, winding streets. The houses may appear conventional from the outside, but step inside and you’ll discover that many of them are built into the rock face. This design keeps out the scorching summer heat as well as the icy winter chill, and Bhalil’s modern-day troglodytes normally use the cave as a living and dining space. This tranquil village is set at the foot of Djebel Kandar, and it makes a good base for walking, from leisurely rambles to more strenuous all-day hikes.

You'll often find the women of Bhalil sitting outside their houses sewing intricate djellaba buttons.

Sitting high above the city, this former fortress is now the national Museum of Arms. It was built in 1582 under the command of Saadian sultan Ahmed el Mansour to guard and control Fez el-Bali. In 1963, a huge collection of weapons originally housed in the Batha Museum was brought to the historic site, creating an interesting display. Sabers, swords, shields, and armor from the 19th century showcase the history of how arms played a social role in tribal hierarchy. Especially important is the arsenal of sultans Moulay Ismail and Moulay Mohammed Beh Abdellah—the elaborate Amazigh guns encrusted in enamel, ivory, silver, and precious gems date back to the 17th century. It's a 20-minute walk uphill from the medina or a short petit taxi ride. The museum itself has been temporarily closed (check online for updates), but the hill is still worth ascending for the view especially at sunset.   

Arguably just as beautiful and more well-preserved than its better-known Fassi namesake, the Meknès version is a showcase for Merenid design; this Islamic educational institution, now a historic site, was finished in 1358. From the cupola to the enormous bronze doors on the street, virtually every inch of this building is covered with decorative carving or calligraphy. The central fountain was for ablutions before prayer. Head upstairs to visit the small rooms that overlook the courtyard. These housed the 60 communal tolba, or student reciters.  The rooftop terrace has one of best panoramic views of Meknès's medina.

This bay is one of the prettiest in the region and much loved by both Rabat and Casablanca locals. For this reason, it gets exceptionally crowded when the weather is hot: crowds hit the golden sands and surfers stream into the waves. It’s a lovely place out of season, too—perfect for picnicking and exploring the tide pools. During summer, there is a good selection of restaurants and cafés. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

During most of the year, a few stray Western surfers seek out waves around the bend from the lighthouse at Cap Rhir. There are no facilities, so it's ideal for those seeking a quiet sunset. You may come across a bald ibis in the area north of the lighthouse, which is said to be one of their nesting sites. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; sunset.

At 985 feet above sea level, the land around the lighthouse offers amazing views over the water: on a clear day, it's possible to see the meeting point of the dark blue of the Atlantic and the turquoise of the Mediterranean. Built by Sultan Mohammed III in 1864, this lighthouse was maintained by Britain, France, Spain, and Italy until Morocco's independence from France in 1956. 

Just under Ceuta's lighthouse, and named for a flat-nosed Amazigh pirate who made the cove his home in 1417, this fort built in the 19th century now houses a museum of military history showcasing the evolution of weapons from the 16th to 19th centuries. You can look out across Ceuta's port and, on clear days, take in a stunning view of Gibraltar from the ramparts.

Six kilometers (4 miles) south of Cap Spartel are the Caves of Hercules, a popular tourist attraction tied to the mythical Hercules, who’s said to have rested here after his labors. One cave has been decorated with amateurish paintings; the other has been left in its natural state and is famed for its windowlike opening in the shape of the African continent, through which the surf crashes. Legend has it that the cave leads to a subterranean tunnel that crosses the Mediterranean. At one of the many cafés by the entrance to the caves, you can sit under a parasol and take in the sea views over a cold drink. You can tour the caves on your own if you're not with a guide or a group. 

Southeast of town, Azrou's cedar forest is a source of great pride throughout the country, with Moroccan cedars, some more than 400 years old, that grow to heights of close to 200 feet and cover some 320,000 acres on the slopes of the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas, and the Rif at altitudes between 3,940 and 9,200 feet; much of it is now under protection. Living among the enormous cedars to the south of Azrou are troops of bold Barbary macaques and birdlife ranging from the red-headed woodpecker to the endemic Atlas flycatcher. Flora include the large-leaf peony, the scarlet dianthus, and the blue germander, all of which attract butterflies, including the cardinal and the colorful sulfur Cleopatra. You can pick up information and maps of the forest showing trails and hikes at the Ifrane Tourist Office, a 25-minute drive away.

Don't miss Tamegroute's ceramics cooperatives at the south end of the library, medersa, and slave quarters. The characteristic rough, green-glazed pottery sold here is all handmade. Other brightly colored and patterned objects are invariably from other regions and may have been mass-produced.

Check the underside of items to see the markings that identify their true origin.

Constructed in 1670 by Moulay Rachid, this is one of Fez's two Alaouite medersas and an important historical site. More austere than the 14th-century medersas of the Merenids, the Cherratine is also more functional, designed to hold over 200 students. It's interesting primarily as a contrast to the intricate craftsmanship and decorative intent of the Merenid structures. The entry doors beautifully engraved in bronze lead to the douiras, narrow residential blocks consisting of a honeycomb of small spartan rooms.

Walking down Rua da Carreira, you'll see on the left the old Portuguese Church of the Assumption. Erected in 1628, it's a fine example of late-Gothic Manueline-style architecture.

The city walls of Taroudant date from the 16th century and are unique in their completeness and for the fact that the new city has not yet encroached upon them, making the 7½ km (4½ miles) of walls easily visible and approachable. There are five main entry points into the city (from the northwest, going clockwise): Bab el Kasbah, Bab Zorgan, Bab Targhount, Bab Ouled Bounouna, and Bab el Khemis. The one place to climb upstairs onto the ramparts for a view across the town is at Bab el Kasbah.

Connected to Temara Plage by a walkway across the rocks, pretty Contrabandiers Beach draws throngs of sunbathers, swimmers, and surfers in summer. As is always the case on this coastline, currents can be extremely dangerous, so don't plan to take a dip unless you're a strong swimmer. Locals will rent you a beach umbrella, and there are usually several vendors who walk up and down the sand selling ice cream and other snacks. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards (in summer); parking. Best for: swimming; surfing; walking.

Approximately 7 km (4½ miles) south of Cap Spartel, look down toward the beach and you'll see the ruins of the 3rd century BC Roman town of Cotta. It was known for its production of garum, an anchovy paste that was exported throughout the Roman Empire. All that remains of the town now are the foundations of buildings, baths, and villas. You can walk to the site from the road or, more easily, from the expanisve beach that runs south from the lighthouse, known locally as Robinson Plage.

Fez is undoubtedly Morocco’s capital of art and crafts, and Culture Vultures leads an interactive small-group tour of the medina workshops of traditional craftsmen—weavers, coppersmiths, tanners, tile makers, and more. As well as gaining an insight into the daily lives of the artisans, you can try your hand at their various crafts. Tours run from Saturday to Thursday with a maximum of six people. They also run artisanal tours in Sefrou.

Diagonally across from Bab Sedra, across Avenue Moulay Rachid and with the hospital on your right, is the Dar Baroud, once a French ammunition-storage facility. This high-walled building is closed to the public—and is locally rumored to be haunted—but stand back on the sidewalk opposite and you can admire its delicate carved stone walls from the exterior.