Country Guides Country Guide: Morocco

Date Published:

10/06/2009

Morocco is so near but yet so far from Europe. So near, that at the closest point Morocco is a mere 14 kilometres from the Spanish coastline; so far because Morocco is completely different in character from the western world.

By Gordon Miller

Morocco is one of the new exotic destinations that have appeared on our radar in the past few years. Located in North Africa, a little more than 20 minutes from the south of Spain by plane, the culture, atmosphere – sights, smells and sounds – are a continent away. Visualize a market in Britain and multiply that 100 times and you will begin to get an idea how vibrant, colourful and noisy the nation’s capital, Marrakech, is – not just on market day, but every day.

Snake charmers, dancers and storytellers perform for the crowds in the main square called Djeema el Fna from which radiate the souks, alleyways and lanes that lead to warren-like properties, known as riads (a traditional Moroccan townhouse built around a central square that is open to the sky – it doesn’t rain much – within the medina (old town walls). An unrenovated riad in a good location will cost from £50,000; a refurbished one from treble that amount and upwards to several million.

Over the last five or six years house prices have more than doubled – especially in the popular cities of Marrakech, Fez and Casablanca. In some of the European style resorts that have sprung up along the coast – such as Mediterrania Saidia, a government-backed resort on the north coast - prices have not risen so dramatically. Arguably, too much building has taken place in too short a period of time. In some instances this has led to a glut of properties and stagnating – if not falling – prices in some areas.