Moors + Maghreb

have enough time to do Morocco!  So, the minute I got a new job, you know I started planning!  

Of course, if I was going to do Morocco, then I’d have to see Western Sahara and the Canary Islands too, because hello, they’re right there!  AND I’d have to see the Alhambra, which I skipped in 1999 to see Bilbao instead!

So, it morphed into an epic road trip starting in Madrid (actually in amazing Salzburg, thanks to a long layover!), and driving down through Andalusian Granada and Málaga to Gibraltar — then finally a ferry to Africa, but not Morocco yet!   The ferry docked in Ceuta, Spanish Morocco, where I then took one of the only two land border crossings from Europe into Africa!

Morocco was everything I’d dreamed it would be — each city was unique and had its own special vibe and character.  From Spanish Tetouan to the French-influenced cities of Rabat and Casablanca, to Portuguese El Jadida;  from the in-your-face authenticity of Fes to crazy but addicting Marrakech;  from cool and blue-hued Chefchaouen to the iconic blue fishing boats of Essaouira — I could go on and on, there’s just so much!  

After the main cities of Morocco, we dipped into the desert to visit the famed kasbah of Ait-Benhaddou on our way south through the Anti-Atlas region and into Laayoune, the capital of the disputed country of Western Sahara.

After a short flight from Laayoune, the Canary Islands were a beautiful contrast to the dusty red and brown cities of southern Morocco and Western Sahara.  The islands were absolutely stunning.  Though small, both Tenerife and Gran Canaria packed in so many natural wonders, bustling cities, and picturesque towns and villages.  

Before heading back home, there was one more night in Madrid to enjoy some of my favorite Spanish things — jamón and manchego cheese tapas with a nice glass of Albariño wine, followed by a pre-flight morning breakfast at Madrid’s famous Chocolateria San Ginés, which has been serving their delicious chocolate con churros since 1894!