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Morocco is, in many ways, a country apart. It nestles on the northwestern tip of Africa, separated from the rest of the continent by the towering Atlas Mountains and the Sahara itself.
Its climate, geography, and history are all more closely related to the Mediterranean than the rest of Africa. For this reason, visitors are often struck by the odd sensation of having not quite reached Africa in Morocco.
Its fine beaches, lush highland valleys, and evocative old cities reinforce this impression in the north.
Morocco’s varied geography includes no less than four separate mountain ranges, lush river valleys, beautiful sandy coasts, and vast expanses of desert. The three most prominent mountain ranges, which run parallel from the southwest to the northeast, are the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas, and the Anti-Atlas. The ascent of the country’s highest peak, Jebel Toukbal (13,665 ft./4,165 m.), is a spectacular and not particularly difficult High Atlas trek.
The Moroccan coastline, which fronts both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, offers plenty of great beaches and fascinating old coastal cities. In the southeast, Morocco’s mountain ranges yield inexorably to the desolate expanse of the Sahara.
Located at the most North and western extremity of Africa and with a territory covering around 711.000 SqKm, a coastline of more than 3500 km mainly on the Atlantic Ocean, Morocco counts approximately 35 Million inhabitants, with more than half of the population under 25.
The main cities are Casablanca, the economic pulse of the country; Rabat, the Capital; Marrakech, Agadir and Fes, the three main touristic poles; and Tangiers overlooking Gibraltar straits, now at the heart of a new economic impulse.
Moroccan Arabic (Darija) is the first official language, and Berber has recently been recognized as the second official language. French is the « business » language and is commonly spoken everywhere through the northern area of Morocco tends to use more Spanish than French. Road signs and menus are mostly in Arabic and French, and other European languages are understood and spoken in many of the sites dealing with tourism.
Islam is the official state religion in Morocco; it is very tolerant, and the Moroccan constitution guarantees freedom to practice other faiths issued by the Revelation (Judaism and Christianism).
Morocco is a Muslim kingdom governed since 1999 by King Mohamed VI, son of the late King Hassan II. The political structure – a social democratic and constitutional monarchy since 1956 when Morocco gained independence from France – remains parliamentary.
Morocco has a mixed economy based mainly on agriculture, tourism, fishing, light industry, phosphates, and remittances from Moroccan citizens working abroad. But the lack of energy resources weighs heavily on the public budget.
Visas to enter Morocco are not required for many countries, including Europe, the UK and the USA. For any queries, please get in touch with the respective embassy. We can also provide you on request with an updated list. No vaccination is required but always check online or near your health centre.
It is good to know a few local customs and standard practices to show courtesy to the country welcoming you. Here are a few.
Access to mosques and holy places is not allowed to non-Muslims. Vendors in the souks will call out to customers with a joke or a tentative conversation before trying to do business. Serving mint tea is part of the ritual, and if offered one, take a least a sip. Casual wear is widely acceptable, but avoid the provocative way of dressing: hot pants are good only near the hotel pool or beach. Don’t forget to ask permission before taking any photo of anyone, and remember that a smile will open all the doors.
The national currency is the Moroccan Dirham (DH) is divided into 100 centimes. There are banknotes of 200 DH, 100 DH, 50 and 20 DH. Coins of 10 DH (yellow), 5, 2, 1 DH (silver colour), and 50, 20, 10 and 5 centimes are yellow. By law, you are not allowed to import or export Moroccan Dirhams, though there is a tolerance for the import of small amounts left from previous trips to Morocco.
Foreign currency may be exchanged at the Bureau de Change at the airport on arrival, at your hotel or in a bank. In hotels, change is made at the same rate as in banks.
Our advice: change small amounts at a time and keep the exchange receipts: you will need that at the AIRPORT BANK DESK (and only there) to change back in your currency when leaving Morocco. Banks and some hotels have ATMs to cash day or night.
Hotels and reputable shops (and even in the Souks when buying such things as carpets, leather or any other major item) accept major credit cards, mostly MasterCard and Visa, American Express and Diners Club being less known.
Morocco is, in many ways, a country apart. It nestles on the northwestern tip of Africa, separated from the rest of the continent by the towering Atlas Mountains and the Sahara itself. Its climate, geography, and history are all more closely related to the Mediterranean than the rest of Africa. For this reason, visitors are often struck by the odd sensation of having not quite reached Africa in Morocco. Its fine beaches, lush highland valleys, and evocative old cities reinforce this impression in the north.
Morocco’s varied geography includes no less than four separate mountain ranges, lush river valleys, beautiful sandy coasts, and vast expanses of desert.
The three most prominent mountain ranges, which run parallel from the southwest to the northeast, are the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas, and the Anti-Atlas. The ascent of the country’s highest peak, Jebel Toukbal (13,665 ft./4,165 m.), is a spectacular and not particularly difficult High Atlas trek.
The Moroccan coastline, which fronts both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, offers plenty of great beaches and fascinating old coastal cities. In the southeast, Morocco’s mountain ranges yield inexorably to the desolate expanse of the Sahara.
Autumn and spring are bright and warmer (average daily temperature around 25° to 28°), and Summer is cooler on the coastline than on the continental inland. Colder evenings need a jacket or a woolly. Winter can be called the « rainy season », though the « short showers season » might be more appropriate.
Morocco is on GMT in Winter and GMT +1 in Summer (with more or less the exact dates as Europe).
There is excellent coverage all over Morocco, so using your mobile to call home will not be a problem. Morocco’s dialling code is +212.
Current is 220 volts AC, 50 Hz for newer buildings, 110 volts AC, 50 Hz for older ones. European-style plugs are standard (2 round pins).
Morocco has been defined as a Shopper’s Paradise due to the skill of its artisans. Maroquinerie (leatherware) has been famous since the XVth century, to be joined later on by the production of pottery, woodwork, carpets, jewellery and nowadays textiles, fashion and home decoration. No visit to Morocco would be complete without visiting a Souk, a central market in every Medina.
The souks of Marrakech, in particular, offer a wide range of all the above with various quality and price levels.
Don’t forget that bargaining is a tradition and a must and that any item has just the price of your desire to acquire it.
For any direct payments on individual bookings, you can generally expect to pay a 10% tip for most services. Tips and gratuities are left to your appreciation.
Morocco making most of its business with Europe has adopted the same working hours (with a lunch break usually from 12.00 to 14.30) and week (with weekends on Saturday and Sunday), with a more extended lunch break on Friday to allow the attendance to the Friday Prayer. Banks are open 08:15 – 15:45
In the Medina: Shops are generally open from 09:30 to 19:30, with many opening later in the evening and some closing half day or full day on Fridays. The modern shopping areas are generally open from 09:30 to 12:30 and from 15:00 to 19:30, and there are again some staying open late into the evening or having a more extended lunch break on Friday. Many shops shut on Sundays.
They are based on the Lunar calendar; their dates vary each year and are fixed after seeing the moon.
Morocco is one of the very few Muslim countries where Ramadan hardly affects an event program. There are no alcohol restrictions on visitors, the evenings are busier, and only Djemaa El Fans square activity will stop 15 minutes before sunset and one hour after to allow everyone to break the fasting day.
Many shops closing in the afternoon will reopen after « breakfast » to be taken stricto-sensu.
The Muslim year of twelve lunar months is twelve days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, so Ramadan occurs earlier in each Gregorian year and goes backwards 12 days every year.
The subtle blending of spices strongly characterizes Moroccan cooking, and Moroccans expertly use them to enhance, rather than mask, the flavour and fragrance of their dishes.
Fresh herbs are also present in Moroccan dishes, particularly garlic, coriander, parsley, and mint, as are fragrant additions such as orange or rose water, olives, and olive oil.
Above all else, perhaps the defining characteristic of Moroccan cuisine is the blending of savoury with sweet, most commonly witnessed by the addition of fruit to meat tagines, to be found in such famous dishes as B’stila, couscous and tanginess of all sorts! Moroccan cooking experiences can be included in any Incentive program.
No restriction on alcoholic drinks by visitors. Morocco has its brands of beer (Flag Special, Casablanca), and major brands are imported (Heineken, Budweiser, Corona, etc.)
Regarding wine, Morocco produces some surprisingly elegant wines – mostly Reds with a few excellent Whites like the « Gazelle de Mogador »-while French wines are widely available, though more expensive.
The most common and famous refreshment is mint tea, an infusion of green tea and fresh mint leaves.
Tap water is drinkable, but it is advisable for visitors to drink inexpensive mineral water.
Unitour Maroc is the DMC specialist for your events in Marrakech, and travel designer for private tours in Morocco, since 1981.