Must-see attractions in Northern Atlantic Coast

  • Roman city in Morocco - Lixus in Larache; Shutterstock ID 660391120; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Lixus Ruins

    Larache

    Set on a hill with spectacular views over the Loukos Estuary, the Carthaginian and Roman ruins of Lixus are evocative reminders that settlements on this…

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    Hassan II Mosque

    Casablanca

    This opulent mosque, built at enormous expense, is set on an outcrop jutting over the ocean with a 210m-tall minaret that's a city landmark. It's a…

  • Historic Chellah Necropolis in Rabat, Morocco

    Chellah

    Rabat

    First came the Phoenicians, then the Romans took control of this beautiful hilltop site above the fertile Bou Regreg river plain around 40 CE. From 1154,…

  • Woman in Kasbah des Oudaias, Rabat, Morocco

    Kasbah des Oudaias

    Rabat

    Rabat's historic citadel occupies the site of the original ribat (fortress-monastery) that gave the city its name. Predominately residential, its narrow…

  • Morocco, Essaouira, Medina, Carpet shops

    Medina

    Essaouira

    Surrounded by dramatic, wave-lashed ramparts, the narrow streets, hassle-free souqs, street vendors and vibrant galleries of Essaouira's walled medina…

  • Medina

    Asilah

    Asilah’s compact medina is surrounded by sturdy stone fortifications built by the Portuguese in the 15th century. Enter through the Bab Al Kassaba and…

  • Cité Portugaise

    El Jadida

    Head through the main entrance gate of the Unesco-protected Cité Portugaise off Place Mohammed Ben Abdallah, and on the left are the early 16th-century…

  • Medina

    Northern Atlantic Coast

    An ochre-walled warren of winding streets, whitewashed houses and hole-in-the-wall shops, Azemmour's medina has yet to undergo an all-encompassing…

  • Medina

    Larache

    Entered through the Bab Al Khemis, an imposing Hispano-Moorish structure, Larache's blue-and-white medina has changed little over the years. Mostly…

  • Place de la Libération

    Larache

    Built by the Spanish, who called it Plaza de España (some locals still do), this grand oval-shaped plaza is the town's focal point. Decorated with palm…

  • Mausoleum of Mohammed V

    Rabat

    The present king’s father (the late Hassan II) and grandfather were laid to rest in this marble mausoleum, which is decorated with exquisite examples of…

  • Abderrahman Slaoui Foundation Museum

    Casablanca

    This privately owned house-turned-museum showcases Abderrahman Slaoui’s outstanding collection of Moroccan decorative arts, from Orientalist travel…

  • Rabat Medina

    Rabat

    When the French arrived in the early 20th century, this walled medina by the sea was the full extent of the city. Built on an orderly grid in the 17th…

  • View of Essaouira, Atlantic Coast, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

    Essaouira Beach

    Essaouira

    Essaouira’s wide, sandy beach is great for walking and kitesurfing, but sunbathing and swimming can be difficult when the winds are strong. For swimming,…

  • Merja Zerga National Park

    Northern Atlantic Coast

    Don't miss a boat trip on the Merja Zerga (Blue Lagoon), roughly 1km south of town. Part of a 70 sq km namesake national park (4 sq km of water, the rest…

  • Boats docked in the Skala du port at sunset, Essaouira, Morocco

    Port

    Essaouira

    Essaouira's large working port is noisy, pungent and hugely atmospheric. Along with the flurry of sea-blue wooden boats arriving and departing, nets being…

  • Ruins on the Small Island in Essaouira, Morocco, Africa

    Île de Mogador

    Essaouira

    Just off the coast lies the Île de Mogador, which is actually two islands and several tiny islets. They are also known as the famed Îles Purpuraires …

  • Skala de la Ville

    Essaouira

    You might recognise the ramparts of the 18th-century Skala de la Ville. They, along with the hulking Bastion Nord, had a starring role in Game of Thrones…

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    Skala du Port

    Essaouira

    This honey-coloured bastion looms over the picturesque harbour and its sea-blue fishing boats. Look back at the walled medina from here, through a curtain…

  • Medina

    Northern Atlantic Coast

    Small and relatively easy to navigate, this 13th-century walled medina retains an almost medieval flavour. It's visited on a regular basis by the city's…

  • Fish

    Fish Auction

    Essaouira

    Head to the port in the afternoon when the sea-blue boats come in for the day and the fishermen auction off their catch. There's always some heated…

  • Fish Souq

    Essaouira

    Join the locals and street cats picking up their fresh fish at this small market. For a cheap lunch, buy half a dozen sardines, and for around Dh10 one of…

  • Museum of Moroccan Judaism

    Casablanca

    The only Jewish museum in the Arabic-speaking world, this institution is set in an attractive garden villa that once functioned as a Jewish orphanage. It…

  • Lac de Sidi Boughaba

    Northern Atlantic Coast

    This freshwater lake, part of the Lac Sidi Boughaba Parc National, is located in Mehdia, on the outskirts of industrial Kenitra. As a refuelling stop for…

  • Old Medina

    Casablanca

    Though lacking the medieval magic that characterises many Moroccan medinas, Casablanca’s compact 19th-century example is still worth a wander. You're…

  • Monoliths of M’Soura

    Northern Atlantic Coast

    The mysterious Monoliths of M’Soura make an interesting half-day trip from Asilah. This prehistoric site consists of a large stone circle (actually an…

  • Medersa Abou Al Hassan

    Northern Atlantic Coast

    Next to the Grand Mosque's magnificent entrance gate, this medersa (school for studying the Quran) is a showcase of Merinid architecture and decorative…

  • Medina

    Safi

    Safi's walled medieval medina is sliced in two by Rue du Souq, which runs northeast from Bab Lamaasa to Bab Chaaba and is lined with shops. On the…

  • Tour Hassan

    Rabat

    Rabat's must-see sight – along with the neighbouring mausoleum – this iconic tower looms 44m above the Bou Regreg estuary. It was originally part of an…

  • Quartier Habous

    Casablanca

    Built in the 1930s, the Quartier Habous, or Nouvelle Medina (New Medina), was built by the French to solve a housing crisis as the population outgrew the…

  • Ras R'mel Beach

    Larache

    Larache has a small rubbish-strewn strip of sand below the town, but the best beach is across the Loukos Estuary, an 11km drive from the town centre. In…

  • Souq Joutiya

    Essaouira

    Turn left outside the Bab Doukkala and around 15 minutes later you’ll reach the industrial quarter’s abandoned warehouses. Take a left past salvaged…

  • Zawiya of Sidi Abdallah Ben Hassoun

    Northern Atlantic Coast

    Salé's patron saint, Sidi Abdallah Ibn Hassoun, was a 16th-century Sufi cleric and teacher. He's revered by Moroccan Muslims as a patron of travellers in…

  • Palais de Raissouli

    Asilah

    This palace was built in 1909 by Er Raissouli the pirate and stands as a testament to the sumptuous life he led at the height of his power. Beautifully…

  • Had Draa Souq

    Essaouira

    The Sunday market at Had Draa, 30km from Essaouira, is the largest in the region, where animals and produce have been traded for centuries. Early risers…

  • Rada Beach

    Asilah

    The wide sweep of Rada Beach – also known as Mounir Beach after the beach’s well-known cafe owner – is 22km from Asilah (7km of it down a dirt road) and…

  • Bab Oudaia

    Rabat

    The most dramatic entry to the kasbah is through the enormous Almohad gate of Bab Oudaia, built in 1195. Its location, facing the heart of the city and…

  • L'Eglise du Sacré Coeur

    Casablanca

    Dating from 1930, this blindingly white, Roman Catholic church sits on the edge of Parc de la Ligue Arabe. An extraordinary architectural mix of art deco,…

  • Plage des Nations

    Rabat

    The clean, sandy strip of beach, around 25km north of Rabat, gets some serious wave action that's good for surfers, but the currents can be dangerous for…

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