Trailblazer Guide Books

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WHERE TO GO

Even if this is not your first visit to Morocco, chances are you'll want to see something of the north during your visit, at the very least one of the big cities like Fes or Marrakech, or more manageable large towns like Asilah or Chefchaouen, both an hour or two south of Tangier.

The Standard Morocco Tour
For car drivers and motorbikers, the standard trip to Morocco involves crossing the Straits on a quick ferry to Ceuta or Tangier, heading down towards the Middle Atlas or Marrakech, crossing the Atlas, often via the popular Aît Benhaddou piste (see p162) then heading over to the east to pay one's respects to the Todra Gorge and maybe have a crack at Gorge-to-Gorge; Route MH3. From there it's common to cross over Jebel Sarhro to Nekob via Route MH4 and either continue south to Zagora to take Route MS6 east to Merzouga, or find some other way to end up visiting Erg Chebbi. A return might include a crossing of the Atlas such as MH2 or via Midelt with a stop in Fes. Essaouira on the coast north of Agadir might be thrown in the mix too, somehow.

A tour like this is manageable in a fortnight and hits just about all the buttons in Morocco. It could also be described as following the main tourism axis with the most chance of encountering high prices and hassle in the bigger towns and cities. In the busy seasons it can also feel a bit like a procession at times, reducing the impression that you're out exploring in the wilds, though if it's your first time, knowing you're not alone can actually be comforting.

For Morocco, Erg Chebbi is a natural wonder for sure, but other than that, consider using this book to find a creative way to cover the same regions, or break off the axis altogether to do your own thing. There is more on the regions at the start of each of the six zones from p101.