The Best of North Central Morocco, including Fes and Meknes

“Berber gas mask?” What was actually being offered to us were sprigs of fresh mint, to hold in front of our noses. We accepted the suggestion and hesitantly made our way towards the pungent smells rising from the chemical pools of the ancient tannery, known to be one of the main tourist attractions of Fes.

Background

Fes sits at the heart of North Central Morocco. Although admittedly not our favourite section of the country that we visited during our 1 month in Morocco, it is nevertheless home to a selection of interesting ancient cities, all varying in their character and appeal.

Here is a summary of our experiences of touring the area with our 3 young children – both of Fes itself and also of the surrounding cities and places of interest.

Fes

Fes (or Fez) is Morocco’s second largest city. It is home to an ancient old town and medina (market area). The medina sits in a natural bowl and its cramped, winding and slightly claustrophobic lanes make for a very atmospheric place to explore. Grand boulevards and gardens surround this city centre.

Best Bits…

The medina at Fes is unrivalled at providing the classic, Moroccan shopping experience. Wooden handicrafts and Berber woven carpets are particular local specialisms. It is also free of motorbikes, which is a real blessing, when compared to Marrakesh.

The grand Blue Gate marks arguably the finest entrance into the old city. Cafes line the entrance, making for a great people watching spot.

The ancient leather tannery at Fes is the most interesting and colourful of any in Morocco. Terraced galleries (within giftshops) can be entered for free for a view down on the action.

Close to the Blue Gate, just outside the old city, are the gardens of Jnan Sbil. The extensive gardens offer a pleasant place to walk around or relax in the shade, if needing a break from the heat of the city.

Good for Kids…

In a square just outside of the old city walls and close to the Blue Gate, in the evenings (at weekends at least), they setup a few small mobile fairground rides for children. Best of all are full-size electric quad bikes that can be hired for a few minutes to ride around the square. Small kids can even control the power and steering, as long as an adult rides too. Our girls loved it!

Bad Bits…

While not on the same scale as Marrakesh, unfortunately Fes is not free at times from similar kinds of hassle and misinformation. It sometimes seems like everybody is wanting to direct you the wrong way all the time. The area around the tannery is perhaps the worst for this.

Eat…

In the heart of the medina sits the Ruined Garden. Its beautiful walled garden is truly an oasis of calm and a great place to escape the business of the surrounding city. It serves tasty, fresh food, with an emphasis on vegetarian dishes. There is even a resident tortoise that our kids loved!

Stay…

Hotel Dar Anne has a great location and offers modern and artistic rooms, within a historic building. A beautiful roof terrace provides a perfect place to relax and enjoy the sunshine whilst taking a break from exploring the city.

Another option that comes recommended, is the excellent Riad Zamane & Spa.

If travelling in a van like we were, we found the only campsite in the city to be far away from the city centre, quite run down and overpriced considering. We moved after 1 day to a car park close to the Blue Gate (with guard and permission for overnight stays), which suited us much better.

Meknes

One of the four imperial cities of Morocco, Meknes was the capital of the country and greater Moorish empire under the reign of Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th and 18th century. The city boasts an impressive (though slightly crumbling) architectural legacy from this era, with grand city walls and palaces built in a Spanish-Moorish style. 

Best Bits…

Despite its historical significance, Meknes receives relatively few foreign visitors, when compared to other major cities in Morocco, making for a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere for exploring.

The old Royal Stables make for an interesting visit, originally constructed with space for the thousands of horses that made up the Royal army of the past.

The horse and carriages for hire are the most ornately decorated of any we saw in Morocco. Trips are reasonably priced and take you to some interesting locations around the city – mostly along quiet, traffic-free roads.

Good for Kids…

The Place lalla aouda is a pleasant section of pedestrianised parkland right in the old city. It makes a good spot for a sit down in the shade, but also includes a decent public children’s playground – something you don’t see too many of in Morocco.

Bad Bits…

Beyond the small old town and surrounding historical buildings, there is not too much else to see. A day trip is plenty for seeing the city’s sights.

Eat…

Restaurant Baraka is located inside a family house and serves up traditional and delicious Moroccan food, in beautiful surroundings.

Stay…

Riad El Ma has good sized rooms with private bathrooms, set in a historic building. The guesthouse has the added bonus of an outdoor swimming pool for use during the summer months.

Volubilis

Located 30km north of Meknes, are the UNESCO listed archeological remains of the once important Berber and Roman city of Volubilis. Once the capital of the Mauritanian empire, founded as far back as the 3rd century B.C., the city later became an important Roman outpost, with its enduring wealth coming from the lucrative business of olive farming.

Unfortunately flattened by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, sections of the city have since been expertly reconstructed. Overall, it may not be the finest Roman remains anywhere in the World, but it is still well worth the trip. The floor mosaics in particular provide an interesting record of the social situation at the time.

Best Bits…

There are some well-preserved and interesting floor mosaics, including some of note that incorporate elements of both Roman and Berber design in their patterns. These showcase a time when both of these groups of residents were co-inhabiting within the same city walls.

Guides are available by the entrance to the site. We found ours provided additional insights and information that definitely helped us with interpreting the ruins. Don’t be tempted to just accept the first price you are offered though – we declined the first offer and subsequently haggled a much better price with a guide who was waiting just inside.

Bad Bits…

The site is very exposed. Although this means it has some lovely views of the surrounding countryside, it also means a lot of direct sunlight, so be prepared if visiting on a hot day. We visited in early February and were still hiding in the (limited) shade at times.

Sefrou

3okm south of Fes is the city of Sefrou. Known historically as the Moroccan city of tolerance, it was once home to Morocco’s largest Jewish population. For the most part, they co-existed happily alongside the city’s Berber and Arab populations for hundreds of years. Now all but gone, the most notable Jewish legacy left behind is that of the craft of manufacturing silk buttons, still used today to decorate the djellabas (long hooded robes) that are worn all over Morocco.

Best Bits…

Walking through the tight, winding lanes of the old town that is full of small stalls and workshops, most of them dedicated to the manufacture of silk buttons. We picked up an English speaking guide who showed us around for 50 DH (€5).

The city provides a taste of some ‘real’ Morocco, far removed from the tourist crowds elsewhere.

Watching the Moroccan ladies at work, sat in groups in the shade all over town, furiously making buttons. It’s interesting to watch but looks a hard life.

Outside of the city centre are the Sefrou Falls. Don’t go expecting a huge, majestic waterfall, but it is a nice spot nonetheless. Apparently it was popular with the first waves of French hippies that arrived back in the day.

Bad Bits…

Being outside of the tourist bubble, it is obvious that the city is a bit down on its luck. Once grand infrastructure is crumbling all around. Also, don’t expect too many options for places to eat, especially those aimed at tourists.

Waste management (or lack of it) is a real problem. While Morocco has commendably taken steps in recent years to drastically reduce single use plastic, it remains a real blight on the city, particularly in the river channels. With only limited tourist income, sadly it is hard to imagine them getting to grips with this issue any time soon.

Bhalil

Up a hill not far from Sefrou, turning off the road that takes you back to Fes, brings you to the town of Bhalil. It is most famous for its troglodyte houses dug out of caves. These were first constructed and inhabited by nomad shepherds and have since been passed down through family generations. The town has continued to build and develop over the top, leaving these cave dwellings buried beneath a tangle of lanes and buildings.

Best Bits…

It is possible to visit a cave house. We were approached almost instantly as we drove into town and offered a tour. Our guide walked us through the town to show us around, before heading up the hill to his house. He then served us some mint tea in his excavated cave room. He was extremely hospitable and it made for an interesting experience, costing us 100 DH (€10) all in. There would be no way to see inside one of the houses otherwise without a tour, as far as we could make out.

Walking to the top of the hill in town offers some decent views of the surrounding landscape.

Bad Bits…

Don’t go expecting picture postcard cave houses – it feels a bit more like visiting someone’s basement.

Like at Sefrou, levels of poverty seem high and the town feels a bit run down. Plastic waste is also a real issue, both in and around the town. Sadly, this all detracts from the appeal.

In Summary

Fes and North Central Morocco have a lot to offer tourists, with a variety of places to see and activities to do on offer. Although certainly not the stand-out section of our trip around Morocco, it still made for an interesting part of the World to visit and is worth a detour if travelling through the country.

Fes, Meknes and Volubilis, in particular, are worth a look. I’d say they can all be seen in separate day trips – there’s no real need to hang around any longer. I’d prioritise spending longer in other parts of Morocco.

Sefrou and Bhalil, while interesting in their own ways, were fairly underwhelming. Unfortunately the quantity of rubbish, especially plastic waste, makes the places feel a bit depressing to visit. If you have a spare day, they provide something a bit different to see. On balance though, if short on time, they’re probably not worth going out of your way for.

For us, we were just passing through this part of Morocco on our way back north. I’m glad we stopped to have a look around at these places, but also pleased we hadn’t arrived with a plan to stay any longer. We were keen to get to our next and final stop, to round off our time in Morocco with a visit to the beautiful blue city of Chefchaoun, up in the Rif Mountains to the north…

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