|
Imperial Cities |
 |
Northern Cities |
|
Atlantic Coastal Cities |
|
|
|||
|
Coastal Resorts |
|
High Atlas |
|
Desert Gateways |
|
|
|||
 |
| Marrakesh at night |
Overview of Morocco
When the Arabs first arrived here in the 7th century, they called the land "al bilad al Maghreb", the "western extreme" - the final stretch of terra firma before it is swallowed by the endless waters of the ocean. A land of horizons, where sea, sand dunes, skies and mountains extend interminably, Morocco is also a place of contrasts. Here, snow-capped peaks frame deserts, fertile valleys lie protected by bare rock formations and beauty exists alongside squalor. Morocco's unique character is formed by its position at the point where two worlds meet: Africa and Europe; East and West; Islam and Christianity; the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. From its northern shores, Gibraltar looks so close, you think you could touch it, whilst the Spanish coastline stretches before you, from beyond Tarifa in the west to Malaga in the east.
But Morocco is more than the sum total of its geographical location. The people form a vital part of its enchantment. In ancient cities and half-forgotten hovels, the traditions of a rich culture live on in the dress, food, customs, festivities and indeed the way in which guests are received. Famous for their hospitality and friendliness, Moroccans still welcome strangers according to age-old codes of ceremony. In short, to travel in Morocco is to subject yourself to a thousand and one impressions. A land of the senses, whose sounds, colours and fragrances cannot but leave a deep impression.
