Today Morocco's 14 national parks and 35 nature reserves, forest sanctuaries and other protected areas overseen by Morocco's Direction des Eaux et Forêts are conserving species and advancing natural sciences. The park staff are tracking the region's biodiversity through botanical inventories, bird censuses, primate studies and sediment analyses. These studies are critical to understanding the broader causes of habitat loss, in Morocco and beyond; the Spanish and American Park Services have studied Morocco's parklands to better understand biodiversity concerns.
Parks have proven a boon to local wildlife, but a mixed blessing for human residents. While national parks protect local ecosystems and attract tourist revenue, access for local communities to water, grazing land and wild plants harvested for food and medicine has been limited or cut off entirely. But by conserving parkland, the Ministries of Tourism and Agriculture aim to help local ecosystems flourish, gradually restore arable land, and ultimately benefit local communities with ecotourism that provides a profitable alternative to kif cultivation. In the near future, fees for park admission may be instituted to support the parks' conservation, scientific and community missions. Meanwhile, the best sights in Morocco are still free and visitors can show their appreciation to local communities by supporting local NGOs along their route.
The Sahara Conservation Fund (www.saharaconservation.org) is dedicated to preserving the wild creatures of the Sahara, and provides a preview of wildlife you might spot in this vibrant desert ecosystem.
Notable National Parks
National park Location Features Activities Best time to visit
Al-Hoceima National Park Al-Hoceima thuya forest, limestone escarpments, fish eagles hiking, birdwatching May-Oct
Bouarfa Wildlife Sanctuary Bouarfa red rock steppe hiking, climbing Apr-Oct
Lac de Sidi Bourhaba Mehdiya lake & wetlands; 200 migratory bird species, including marbled duck, African marsh owl & flamingo swimming, birdwatching, hiking Oct-Mar
Merja Zerga National Park Moulay Bousselham lagoon habitats; 190 species of waterfowl, including African marsh owl, Andouin's gull, flamingo & crested coot wildlife-watching Dec-Jan
Souss-Massa National Park south of Agadir coastal estuaries and forests; 275 species of birds, including endangered bald ibis, mammals & enclosed endangered species hiking, wildlife-watching, birdwatching Mar-Oct
Talassemtane National Park Chefchaouen cedar & fir forests; Barbary macaque, fox, jackal & bats in the cedar forest wildlife-watching, hiking May-Sep
Tazzeka National Park near Taza oak forests & waterfalls hiking Jun-Sep
Toubkal National Park near Marrakesh highest peak in North Africa hiking, climbing May-Jun
Creative Conservation
The only thing more natural than the wonders of Morocco is the impulse to preserve them. Morocco is in a fortunate position: to envision a more sustainable future, it can look to its recent past. Ancient khettara (irrigation systems), still in use, transport water from natural springs to fields and gardens in underground channels, without losing precious water to evaporation. Although certification is still a novel concept, most small-scale Moroccan farming practices are organic by default, since chemical fertilisers are costly and donkey dung pretty much comes with the territory. Community hammams use power and water for steamy saunas more efficiently than individual showers or baths. Locally made, detergent-free savon noir ('black soap' made from natural palm and olive oils) is gentle enough for a shave and effective as laundry soap, without polluting run-off – and leftover 'grey water' can be used for gardens and courtyard fountains. With Morocco's traditional mudbrick architecture, metre-thick walls provide natural insulation against heat in summer and chill in winter, eliminating most street noise and the need for air-con and central heating.
Morocco is also thinking fast on its feet, becoming an early adopter of resource-saving new technologies. The pioneering nation already has Africa's biggest wind farm at Tarfaya, while Ouazazarte is home to what will ultimately be the world's largest solar power plant. By 2020 almost half of Morocco's energy will be provided by renewables.
To tackle challenges still ahead, Morocco will need all the resourcefulness it can muster. Due to the demands of city dwellers and tourist complexes, 37% of villages around Marrakesh now lack a reliable source of potable water. Damming to create reservoirs frequently strips downstream water of valuable silts needed to sustain farms and coastal wetlands. Forests are also under threat, with around 250 sq km of forest lost each year, including Moroccan pine, thuya and Atlas cedar. Pollution is a weighty concern, literally: Morocco's cities alone produce an annual harvest of 2.4 million tonnes of solid waste.
Everywhere you travel in the country, you'll notice minor modifications that collectively make major savings in scarce resources – and you're invited to participate. Plastic bags were banned in 2016. Solar water heaters provide instant hot water for showers in the afternoon and evening, so taking showers at those times saves water that might otherwise be wasted by running the tap while gas heaters warm up. Reforestation programs are helping prevent erosion, and you can help by staying on marked mountain paths and supporting local NGO reforestation initiatives. Organic gardens provide fresh ingredients for meals, reducing the dependence on food transported over long distances – and ordering local, seasonal specialities provides positive reinforcement for local food sourcing. Morocco's Green Key program also certifies hotels and guesthouses that institute a range of resource-conserving measures, from low-flow toilets to environmentally friendly cleaning products, although it has received criticism from some quarters for granting certificates to hotels with distinctly high-impact facilities such as swimming pools.
Add these traditional, national and local resource-saving practices together, and Morocco is poised not only to make the switch to sustainable tourism, but to show Europe how it's done.
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Book Your Stay Online
For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet authors, check out http://lonelyplanet.com/hotels/. You’ll find independent reviews, as well as recommendations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can book online.
Accommodation
A wide range of accommodation options is available in Morocco. In our listings, the official, government-assigned rates (including taxes) are quoted, although these are intended as a guide only.
Hotels Range from the most basic to the glitziest.
Riads The country has become famous for its traditional medina houses converted into boutique guesthouses.
Camping Mostly restricted to trekkers, who can also access mountain refuges in some areas.
Camping
AYou can camp anywhere in Morocco if you have permission from the site’s owner.
AThere are many official campsites.
AMost official sites have water and electricity; some have a small restaurant, a grocery store and even a swimming pool.
AMost of the bigger cities have campsites, although they’re often some way from the centre.
ASuch sites are sometimes worth the extra effort to get to, but often they consist of a barren and stony area offering little shade and basic facilities.
AParticularly in southern Morocco, c
ampsites are often brimming with the enormous campervans so beloved of middle-aged French tourists.
Costs
AAt official sites you’ll pay around Dh10 to Dh20 per person, plus Dh10 to Dh20 to pitch a tent and about Dh10 to Dh15 for small vehicles.
AParking a campervan or caravan typically costs around Dh20 to Dh30, although this can rise as high as Dh45.
AElectricity generally costs another Dh10 to Dh15.
AA hot shower is about Dh5 to Dh10.
AMany campsites have basic rooms or self-catering apartments.
Gîtes d'Étape, Homestays & Refuges
AGîtes d’étape are homes or hostels, often belonging to mountain guides, which offer basic accommodation (often just a mattress on the floor) around popular trekking routes in the Atlas and Rif Mountains.
AGîtes have rudimentary bathrooms and sometimes hot showers.
ALarger than gîtes, mountain refuges offer Swiss-chalet-style accommodation.
AAccommodation at refuges is usually in dormitories with communal showers, and often includes a lively communal dining-living room.
AClub Alpin Français (CAF; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0522 27 00 90; www.ffcam.fr; 50 Blvd Moulay Abderrahman, Quartier Beauséjour, Casablanca) runs refuges in the High Atlas.
AIf you are trekking in the High Atlas or travelling off the beaten track elsewhere, you may be offered accommodation in village homes.
AMany homestays won’t have running water or electricity, but you’ll find them big on warmth and hospitality. You should be prepared to pay what you would in gîtes d’étape or mountain refuges.
Hostels
Part of Hostelling International, Fédération Royale Marocaine des Auberges de Jeunes (%0522 47 09 52; www.auberges-de-jeunesse.com/en/maroc) has reliable youth hostels in Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, Meknès, Ouarzazate and Rabat.
AIf you’re travelling alone, hostels are among the cheapest places to stay (from Dh60 a night), but many are inconveniently located.
ASome offer kitchens, family rooms and breakfast.
AIf looking for a budget hostel, beware of individuals’ houses converted in the dead of night without the appropriate licences.
Hotels
AYou’ll need your passport number (and entry-stamp number) when filling in a hotel register.
ASome hotels in more isolated regions offer half-board (demi-pension), which means breakfast and dinner are included, or full-board (pension), also including lunch. This can be a good deal.
Budget
AYou’ll find cheap, unclassified (without a star rating) or one-star hotels clustered in the medinas of the bigger cities. Some are bright and spotless; others haven’t seen a mop for years.
ACheaper prices usually mean shared washing facilities and squat toilets.
AMany budget hotels don’t supply soap in the bathrooms, so bring your own.
AOccasionally there is a gas-heated shower, for which you’ll pay an extra Dh5 to Dh10.
AWhere there is no hot water at all, head for the local hammam.
AMany cheap hotels in the deep south offer a mattress on the roof terrace (Dh25 to Dh30); others also have traditional Moroccan salons, lined with banks of seats and cushions, where you can sleep for a similar price.
Midrange
AMidrange hotels in Morocco are generally of a high standard.
AOptions range from hotels offering imitation Western-style rooms, which are modern if a little soulless, to riads and maisons d’hôtes (small hotels), which capture the essence of Moroccan style with both comfort and character.
AIn this price range you should expect a room with an en suite (shower) and breakfast.
AIn cheaper areas such as the south, you may find midrange standards at budget prices.
Top End
AHotels in this bracket are similar to midrange places but with more luxurious levels of comfort and design.
AIn resorts such as Agadir, many top-end hotels are self-contained holiday complexes, offering features such as golf courses, nightclubs and multiple restaurants.
Rental Accommodation
AIf travelling in a small group or as a family, consider self-catering options, particularly in low season, when prices can drop substantially.
AAgadir, nearby Taghazout, Essaouira, Asilah and the bigger tourist centres on both coastlines have a fair number of self-catering apartments and houses, sometimes in tourist complexes.
Riads, Dars & Kasbahs
For many guests, the chance to stay in a converted traditional house is a major drawcard of a trip to Morocco. These midrange and top-end options are the type of accommodation that the term ‘boutique hotel’ could have been invented for, and no two are alike. Service tends to be personal, with many places noted for their food as much as their lodgings.
Locations Marrakesh is the most famous destination for riads (there are several hundred); Fez, Meknès, Essaouira and Rabat are also noteworthy. With their popularity seemingly unassailable, you can increasingly find riads in the most unexpected corners of the country.
Riads and dars Although the term riad is often used generically, a riad proper is a house built around a garden with trees. You’ll come across plenty of dars (traditional townhouses with internal courtyards) labelling themselves as riads.
Kasbahs Often functioning as hotels, kasbahs (old citadels) are found in tourist centres in central and southern Morocco. Rooms in kasbahs are small and dark, due to the nature of the building, but are lovely and cool in summer.
Booking Most riads require booking, and it’s worth planning ahead, as most only have a handful of rooms and can fill quickly. Booking well in advance often means that someone from the riad will be sent to meet you outside the medina when you arrive: labyrinthine streets conspire against finding the front door on your first attempt.
Rates Room rates are generally comparable to four- or five-star hotels. Many riads list their online rates in euros, rather than dirham, at exchange rates favourable to themselves, so always double-check the prices when booking.
SLEEPING PRICE RANGES
The following price ranges refer to the cost of a double room in high season (November to April). Unless otherwise mentioned, prices exclude breakfast.
€ less than Dh400
€€ Dh400–Dh800
€€€ more than Dh800
Exceptions to these price ranges are Casablanca, Essaouira, Fez, Marrakesh, Rabat and Tangier. For these places, the following price ranges apply:
€ less than Dh600
€€ Dh600–Dh1200
€€€ more than Dh1200
Customs Regulations
Importing or exporting dirham is forbidden, although checks are rare so don't worry about the loose change you may have at the end of a drink. Forbidden items include ‘any immoral items liable to cause a breach of the peace’, such as ‘books, printed matter, audio and video cassettes’.
Duty-free allowances:
Aup to 200 cigarettes, or 25 cigars, or 250g of tobacco
A1L of alcoholic drink
A150ml of perfume
Apresents or souvenirs worth up to Dh2000.
Electricity
AElectricity is reliable, but bring a torch for off-the-beaten-track destinations in the mountains.
Embassies & Consulates
The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (www.diplomatie.ma/en) has a list of embassies and consulates in Morocco. Most embassies and diplomatic representation are in Rabat, and open from about 9am until noon, Monday to Friday. Rabat embassies include the following:
Algerian Embassy ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0537 66 15 74; [email protected]; 46-48 Ave Tariq ibn Zayid, Quartier Hassan; jTour Hassan) Also has a consulate-general in Casablanca and consulate in Oujda.
Canadian Embassy (%0537 54 49 49; www.canadainternational.gc.ca/morocco-maroc; 66 Mehdi Ben Barka Ave, Souissi; h8am-4.30pm Mon-Thu, to 1.30pm Fri) Also provides consular assistance to Australians.
Dutch Embassy ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ;
%0537 21 96 00; http://marokko.nlambassade.org; 40 Rue de Tunis, Quartier Hassan; jTour Hassan) Also has a consulate-general in Casablanca.
French Embassy ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0537 67 87 00; www.consulfrance-ma.org; 1 Rue Aguelmane Sidi Ali, Agdal; h8.30am-1.45pm Mon-Fri; jBibliotèque Nationale) Also has consulates in Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, Rabat and Tangier.
German Embassy ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0537 21 86 00; www.rabat.diplo.de; 7 Rue Madnine, Ville Nouvelle; h9am-noon Mon-Fri; jPlace al-Joulane) Also has a consulate in Rabat and honorary consulates in Agadir and Casablanca.
Mauritanian Embassy ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0537 65 66 78; 6 Rue Thami Lamdaouar, Soussi)
Spanish Embassy (%0537 63 39 00; www.exteriores.gob.es/embajadas/rabat; Rue Ain Khalouiya, Souissi; h8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) Also has consulates-general in Agadir, Casablanca, Larache, Nador, Rabat, Tangier and Tetouan.
UK Embassy ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0537 63 33 33; www.gov.uk; 28 Ave S.A.R. Sidi Mohammed, Souissi; h8am-4.15pm Mon-Thu, to 1pm Fri) Also has honorary consulates in Agadir, Marrakesh and Tangier.
US Embassy ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0522 64 20 99; http://rabat.usembassy.gov; Km 5.7, Ave Mohamed VI, Souissi; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri) Also has a consulate-general in Casablanca.
Lonely Planet Morocco Page 91