Beyond Marrakech: American journalist finds her favorite side of Morocco in the north
After spending ten days in Morocco, American journalist Mitti Hicks is urging travelers to look beyond Marrakech. From Tangier to Chefchaouen, via Casablanca and Fez, she recounts her discoveries, favorite spots and a few disappointments, with a clear preference for the north of the Kingdom.
In a report published on November 9 by Travel Noire, Mitti Hicks says Marrakech takes up much of the attention from foreign tourists. Traveling from Houston on an organized tour, she discovered four cities with very different atmospheres, taking particular interest in their heritage and residents’ daily lives.
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In Casablanca, it was the food that first won her over. At the small family-run Moulay Food restaurant, the owners served her the first tagine off the fire, even though she had arrived before service began. She also has fond memories of La Sqala, near the old medina.
She is far less enthusiastic about the famous Rick’s Café, inspired by the film Casablanca. While she likes the restaurant’s decor, she finds the dishes too expensive and prefers to recommend other restaurants in the city. Hassan II Mosque, which she visited illuminated after nightfall, is one of the highlights of her trip.
Northern Morocco, far more than its landscapes
In Chefchaouen, the journalist took an interest in more than its blue façades. She discovered, among other things, communal ovens still used in some neighborhoods, where residents continue to bake their bread. She also acknowledges the challenges posed by the city’s growing number of tourists, while encouraging visitors to support local businesses.
Tangier offered her a different experience. Mitti Hicks describes a relaxed city shaped by Moroccan and European influences. She recommends the medina’s alleyways, the Kasbah Museum and Cape Spartel. At the Caves of Hercules, she was most impressed by the opening onto the ocean, despite the crowds of tourists.
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Her stay ended in Fez, after a stop at the archaeological site of Volubilis. In the old medina, she discovered the traditional tanneries, whose odors made a particular impression on her. Neither the balm applied under her nose nor the mint leaves were enough to mask them. She was also struck by the donkeys carrying goods through the alleyways and by her first night in a traditional riad.
