Morocco 6 days journey from Casablanca to Marrakech through Merzouga.

An overview of our Morocco itinerary for 6 days:

Casablanca, the economic city:

Anfa’s old city has weathered several foreign invasions throughout the years. Casablanca, as it is now known, has a long and distinguished history in North Africa. Many centuries later, when the Amazighs, Romans, and Portuguese took over, Anfa was turned into Dar el Beida.

Casablanca went through many phases throughout the years before becoming one of Africa’s major metropolises and Morocco’s largest agglomeration. Anfa, a historic Berber city founded in the 10th century BC, is today the economic hub known as Casablanca. Anfa is a Berber name that means “small hill,” according to the UNESCO book “Africa Ethnonyms and Toponyms.”

Casablanca has seen several transformations throughout the centuries. From the third century BC to 40 AD, the land that is now Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia was called “Mauritania.” This was because the Amazigh people lived there and were in charge.

According to Roman Heritage, a non-profit cultural site dedicated to ancient Rome, the Amazigh, commonly known as “Berbers,” controlled northern Morocco. This story says that there were semi-nomadic Berber tribes in northern Morocco, Algeria, and the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla.

The ancient city of Fes:

Due to its urban history and contemporary dynamics, Fes, situated on the Sais plateau at the crossroads of northern Morocco, serves as a reference model in the geography of “margins” and “marginalization.” Throughout the twentieth century, Fes, the kingdom’s prior political and economic hub, was relegated to a small regional center. Today, however, this city hopes to be among the world’s third-millennium cities.

Fes is a crossroads city on the old caravan routes that linked sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab-Muslim East, and the northern Mediterranean during the Middle Ages.

A glance at an early twentieth-century toponymic map of Fes demonstrates that the city’s settlement history is defined by periodic migrations. Fes had a Berber population. But over time, Arab families from Andalusia, Kairouan, Tlemcen, and other Muslim countries joined this group.

According to legend, Christianity first spread over the area in the third century. Hebrews would have arrived in Fes as early as the 10th century. Beginning in the 16th century, the inflow of people from Sub-Saharan African countries reinforced this colony. As a result of this invasion, Fes became a place where people from Islam, Judaism, and Christianity could meet and share ideas.

Merzouga in the Sahara Desert:

Merzouga is a village in southern Morocco on the Algerian border, at the entrance to the Sahara Desert, about 200 kilometers from Tinghir and 350 kilometers from Ouarzazate. Merzouga is primarily famed for its world-renowned sand dunes.

It is located at the entrance to the Erg de Chebbi, which has some of the most spectacular dunes in the Sahara as well as Morocco’s tallest permanent dunes. It is Morocco’s only erg, along with the Erg of Chegaga (or Chigaga). Merzouga is one of the last towns in Morocco before the Sahara. It is about fifty kilometers from the border with Algeria.

Merzouga is a desert region with a severe, hot, and dry environment. The average temperature in the summer may reach 45 degrees and 25 degrees in the winter, but it can drop to around zero degrees at night in both seasons. So keep a warm item in your luggage in mind.

Precipitation is rare, but when it does fall, it is frequently heavy and stormy. Merzouga has minimal bad weather and always has a clear sky, both during the day and at night, making it ideal for stargazing.

The Dayet Srij lake, which can be seen after traversing the massive dunes, is just a few kilometers from Merzouga. It offers a spectacular view of the dunes as well as exceptional fauna. The peace that exudes from this amazing place will captivate you. What a sight to witness pink flamingos or white storks slowly soaring over the blue of the lake, with the magnificent Merzouga dunes in the background. This unusual terrain has a captivating beauty. It’s rare to find a lake at the edge of the desert.

Ouarzazate’s cinema city

Ouarzazate is located at the confluence of the Ouarzazate and Dades valleys (both from the High Atlas), which form the Draa river downstream. It is the nerve center for a significant portion of southern Morocco. Ouarzazate suggests both the southern slopes of the High Atlas and the desert’s closeness.

Ouarzazate has a dry environment with an annual rainfall of just 112 mm. In the summer, rainfall is light and sporadic, if not non-existent. Temperatures are pleasant at night in the winter and intense during the day in the summer. The plant cover is minimal, and cultivation is only viable because the Oued Drâa’s waters are used to irrigate agricultural areas.

The city’s icon is the Taourirt Kasbah, which belonged to Pasha El Glaoui and was erected in the middle of the 18th century. It is next to the medina and is shown on the new 50 dirham banknotes.

Ait Benhaddou’s Kasbah:

Morocco boasts an abundance of kasbahs. The most famous and visited is the Kasbah fortification of Ait Benhaddou. This property has been recognized as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1987. The Kasbah, on the other hand, dates back to the 11th century and was built by the Glawi family.

Furthermore, the caravans of Touareg nomads who used to travel for 52 days from Tombouctou are well-known in this region. They came here to sell salt since the region has a river named Oued El Maleh, where Oued refers to the river and Maleh refers to the salt.

There are around 7 storeys in that location, each with many clay and mud dwellings. The main one is at the top, and it used to be where they kept the salt for other visitors who wished to exchange it.

This area has been used to shoot a variety of films and movies. For example, iconic films like Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia were filmed there.

Marrakech, the Red City:

Marrakech is Morocco’s most popular tourist destination. As a consequence of its hue, it is also known as the tourist city and the red city. This huge and picturesque city is one of Morocco’s four imperial cities. It was created in 1062 by Yusuf Ibn Tashfin.

The Jemaa el Fnaa plaza in Marrakech is well-known. In reality, there are snake charmers and people doing “street entertainment” there. Since it is the city’s market, or souk, you may find people selling many different things.

The Koutoubia mosque is not far from the heart of Jemaa el-Fnaa. It is also known as Kutubiyya and is the largest mosque in Marrakech, with a 773 meter tall tower. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter. Only the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca permits this.

In Marrakech, there is a magnificent garden called Majorelle. This art gallery was produced and dedicated to Morocco by the French artist John Jacques Majorelle. Also, bear in mind that this French artist worked on this garden for about 40 years.