We are a 60-something married couple who recently made our first trip to Morocco, hosted by Adrar Eco Tours. We expected Morocco to be beautiful, and it exceeded that expectation by a lot. What we didn't expect was the breadth and depth of culture across the country. We had stops in Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Fes, Rabat, Marrakech, and Agadir, and it is almost as if we visited multiple countries. Casablanca is a huge metropolis with many Western-style offerings. We even had a white tablecloth, fine dining experience with craft cocktails at a restaurant overlooking the ocean. From the blue beauty of Chefchaouen in the north, to the ancient medina in Fes – be sure to visit the leatherwork shops; we came away with amazing handmade jackets and a messenger bag for my son – to the narrow streets and endless shops of the medina in Marrakech, to the Westernized tourist destination of Agadir (yes, people were surfing in the ocean!), the sights, sounds, and people were amazing.We have traveled quite a bit and can handle being out of our element, but we arrived for our tour with no functioning Arabic or Darija (the Moroccan dialect of Arabic ) or Tachelhit (the indigenous language) at all. As such, we found our Adrar hosts to be absolutely essential. And that was not just to overcome the language barriers, but also to handle the driving (Moroccan driving is an acquired skill, even for Chicagoans like us), luggage, and other daily needs. We wouldn't visit Morocco without them.Morocco is bigger than you might think, so be mindful of the distances. Driving from Chefchaouen in the far north to Agadir in the far south would take about 10 hours. Next time, we would schedule longer stops in fewer destinations to get the most out of driving those distances.Our accommodations were mostly riads, small inns that Adrar booked for us. Adrar did a great job of balancing our Western expectations – comfortable beds, modern bathrooms, etc. – with terrific local flavor. Our riads featured beautiful tile work, intricate wood panels, lots of tapestries, but all with comfortable modern features.Food is one of the great aspects of a trip through Morocco. We had the ubiquitous tagine, of course, but also experienced a wide range of seafood, vegetable platters, continental breakfasts, even a camel burger (tastes like beef!). Alcohol is not as ubiquitous as it is in Europe or the U.S., but in the larger cities, restaurants serve beer, wine, and cocktails. We were able to try a domestic bottle of wine, which we thought was quite nice. You will find the prices to be very welcome if you are used to American restaurants. We hosted a dinner at a very nice place on the ocean in Agadir for 10 people, and the total bill was less than $200 American. Not a typo!Adrar Eco Tours also hosts mountain climbing/rock climbing/outdoor adventures. That's not our thing, but when you see the beauty of the Anti-Atlas mountains in the countryside beyond Agadir, you'll be tempted to try that, too.
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At Adrar Ecotours, our passion is showcasing the beauty of our homeland in the most pure and sustainable way possible. Morocco is a rich and vibrant country, full of cultural and natural beauty. Our aim is to connect the world to a wild and true side of Morocco, filled with local people and exciting adventures.
