Morocco as a tourist destination has lots to offer thanks to its natural and historical assets and diverse culture. Morocco has over 3,500km of coastline on two very different seas; the Atlantic Ocean on a long seafront to the west and the Mediterranean on a wide strip to the north. If you are a water sports enthusiast then Morocco is ideal with excellent temperatures and perfect wind conditions you can enjoy surfing, windsurfing, waterskiing or kite surfing in Morocco.

Morocco has an outstanding variety of beaches all along its varied coastline. On the Atlantic, most of the beaches are long and narrow with fine white sand. The north-east trade wind regularly blows from March to September on this side of the coast which is the perfect place for windsurfers. On the rockier Mediterranean coastline, from Tangier to Al Hoceima, the beaches are more secluded and intimate. The sea here is also calmer and with the superb weather and lovely traditional fishing villages dotted along the coast this coast is ideal for relaxing and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

A popular experience for tourists in Morocco is to stay in a Riad. A Riad is more than a hotel; it is an old fashioned Moroccan home that has been converted in to a type of Bed and Breakfast. They are not typically run by families like the Bed and Breakfast establishments you find in the UK, rather they cater to tourists looking for a higher-quality, cultural and traditional experience of staying in Morocco. Two of the more popular areas of Morocco to experience life in a Riad are Fez and Marrakech. Offering visitors unique and traditional places to stay, Riad’s have been carefully restored in to often quite lavish guesthouses. The luxury though lies more in the atmosphere rather than the décor, which is still beautifully and tastefully done.

Arts and crafts are very prominent in Morocco especially when wandering the Medina’s of many of Morocco’s cities. Pottery, textiles, ceramics, jewellery, carpets and leather goods are traditional crafts that are made by hand with traditional tools and machines. These skills are passed down from generation to generation with real passion and it is a fabulous sight to see them being crafted first hand. A very popular decorative feature are Zellige mosaics, which are small earthenware tiles cut by a hammer. Many of the cities is Morocco are renowned for there own speciality in arts and crafts, for example; Marrakech, Fez and Tétouan are reputed for brass and copper objects; Tiznit is a highly regarded place for jewellery; The beautifully made carpets from Rabat are strongly appreciated; and the souks of Marrakech and Fez very popular for leather goods such as poufs, babouches and bags.

Aside from the desert, beaches and Medina’s, Morocco hides a lesser known secret, Ifrane. This is a town built by the French in the 1930’s and resembles a typical alpine village! In the summer you can retreat to this area for the relative coolness due to the high altitude and is the perfect place for hiking and picnicking especially if you head for the Vierges waterfall and the banks of Lake Dayet Aaoua. In winter however, you can actually go skiing here. Situated at 1,650 metres above sea level on the snow-covered peaks of the Atlas, Ifrane has become very popular with Moroccan skiers. The neighbouring area of Michlifen is also popular and ideal for alpine and cross-country skiing. That is why this area of Morocco is a big surprise to many tourists.

Though Morocco may seem like a world away from many of the traditional tourist destinations we know, it offers many of the same travel options and experiences that you would find in other countries. With a flying time of less then 3 hours 30 minutes from London, Morocco is easily accessible to all major cities across Europe. Morocco has 15 airports, not all international, but where ever you are flying from and which ever is your preferred destination in Morocco there will always be an option for you.