Situated a mere hour across the Straits of Gibraltar from mainland Europe, Morocco has fascinated travellers for centuries with its maze-like city streets and enticing geography. Morocco blends the exotic with the cosmopolitan like no other country can as its deeply traditional islamic population has played host to western travellers for years.
Travelling in Morocco is immensely rewarding as the North African country contains some of the Arab world's best kept historical sites, set amongst one of the most dramatic natural environments in the world. Containing Mediterranean scrub along the north coast, snow-capped peaks in the Atlas Mountains, world class surf on the Atlantic, and the vast expanse of the scorching Sahara desert, you are never more than a couple hours away from completely different geographies, making the cycling never boring.
The Atlantic coast is where you see most of the westernized resorts and cities, such as the capital of Rabat and cosmopolitan Casablanca, which are busy, unorganised, and generally too hectic for safe cycling. For most it’s the authentic, and at times elusive, interior of Morocco that captures their hearts where the Sahara desert comes to a fold at the foot of the mighty Atlas Mountains. Cycling between the best-kept medieval Arabic city of Fes south and the market-filled trade hub of Marrakech will allow you to see the best of what most consider the quintessential Morocco.
Cycle the well-paved roads that wind high into the alpine of the Atlas Mountains and descend into the river valleys and fertile agricultural plains. While stopping at a Kasbah for some mint tea, immerse yourself in Berber culture while indulging in the aromatic Moroccan cuisine. Take a camel trek into the Sahara where you can stargaze the night away and cheers the morning sun with a traditional Bedouin breakfast. Morocco has been a source of international wonder for centuries, and exploring it by bicycle is the best way to see why.
