Cool Cities, Breezy Coastlines and Lush Mountain Valleys - a brief tour of Morocco

The cold rain hurled down gutters, palm trees waved energetically in the wind, and conical djellaba hoods were firmly up on Marrakshi heads while they ran errands through the maze of the Medina. This wasn’t what we had expected on arrival in Marrakesh, but the 6-year drought had finally broken, and it was a cause for celebration – reservoirs would soon refill and the primary agricultural industry would continue to thrive. Unfortunately for us, we were flying in after a long, grey and damp British winter, but it was difficult to feel resentful about the temporary lack of warmth and sunshine.

Marrakesh, the most-visited of Morocco’s 4 Imperial cities, is truly a city of contrasts. Low-built - it is forbidden to build any higher than the minaret of the 12th century Koutoubia mosque - the fortified Medina is easily small enough to walk around. Even beyond the city walls, in l’Hivernage aka the French Quarter, the streets are broad, leafy and walkable. One moment, we are enjoying fragrant tagines and tooth-rottingly sweet tea with sparrows by our feet overlooking a damp Djemaa el Fna square; the next, we are sipping minty mojitos with the resident DJ at the rooftop bar of the new Nobu Hotel, enjoying stunning 360º views of the Atlas mountains and the desert beyond.

I was travelling with my husband and my teenage daughter, and we chose to stay at the discreet, suite-only Jardins Secrets de l’Hivernage, in a quiet residential road, only a 15 minute walk from the city walls. Although we didn’t get to enjoy the swimming pool, this small hotel suited us well with its spacious rooms, 2 bathrooms per suite, very small guest-count and gracious staff. Luckily, rain didn’t stop play at the internationally cool rooftop Kabana restaurant for dinner.

After 2 nights of the sensory onslaught of Marrakesh, sea air was calling so we took a 2.5 hour drive down to boho, hippy Essaouira on the Atlantic coast. Another fabled city – formerly known as Mogador, so-named by Portuguese colonisers - with a fascinating history off the back of the strong Alizée trade winds which also make it a mecca for kite-surfers. Our view from our suite at the Riad Mimouna was of the endlessly churning Atlantic beneath us, with saltwater spraying our 1st floor windows at high tide.

Cool coffee-shops make the most of Morocco’s plentiful produce here to serve excellent brunches & chic art galleries line the pedestrian-only maze of streets that line the inside of the 18th-century seafront ramparts. Large multi-generational families ventured out in force from 6pm, shopping for the break of their Ramadan fast. Down by the harbour, business was brisk as usual with fisherman displaying that morning’s catch to be freshly bought and grilled for lunch.

Our final stop was the Domaine de la Roseraie in the High Atlas Mountains, a vibrantly lush landscape with snow-tipped peaks, rust red soil and gentle, hospitable Berber people. Here, the air and the water are soul-refreshingly clean. Pomegranates, quince, peaches, plums, vines, almonds, barley, olive trees and carob trees are just some of the crops that we saw growing in the villages, as well as endless aromatic wild herbs - sage, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, wild garlic.

On a serious note, this area was the epicentre of the earthquake which killed 3000 Moroccans only 8 months ago and which caused widespread destruction. Many local families, including that of our charming trek guide Sharif, already living as subsistence farmers, have spent the winter in tents. Their houses are being rebuilt, but it does take time.

If you have been considering a visit to Morocco, my advice is to just do it, sooner rather than later.