It isn’t possible to take a direct flight to Marrakech, Morocco from Cairo, so my journey from the Egyptian capital to Morocco’s most ubiquitous tourist city took multiple steps. After a five-hour flight from Cairo to Casablanca, I took a 45-minute train into central Casablanca, then boarded a second, four-hour train to Marrakech.
Still, in spite of having much such considerable effort to get to Marrakech, I didn’t have particularly high expectations for the city. But I’m happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I had a blast there, really!
That being said, there are plenty of things about Marrakech that have the potential to annoy you. If you can make peace with these characteristics — and be strategic in avoiding as many of them as you can — you will absolutely love Marrakech.
Jemaa el-Fnaa is picturesque both by day and by night.
Jemaa el-Fnaa Square and Marrakech Food Stalls:
The center of Marrakech, for tourists anyway, is Jemaa el-Fnaa square, located in the center of the Marrakech medina, or its old, walled city. Upon arriving at the square from the airport or train station, you’ll begin to get a sense of the chaos and hustle-bustle for which Morocco is world-famous. This is exhilarating, particularly if you happen to arrive at night.
To be sure, it’s at night when the square fills up with craft merchants, carts selling the most delicious fresh orange juice you’ll ever taste, and my personal favorite feature of Marrakech, its food stalls. Labeled with numbers ranging from 1-100, the stalls all serve home-cooked Moroccan favorites like savory tajines and couscous, skewered meat and fish on the grill, and, of course, iconic Moroccan mint tea.
(But especially at night).
The square is also located in close proximity to the Marrakech souks (the Arabic word for “market”), which allows you easy access to shopping, even at night.
Local Attitudes in Marrakech:
Before I begin this section, allow me to say that Moroccan people are generally extremely friendly and treat Western tourists appropriately. This being said, I experienced and witnessed inappropriate actions and words from Moroccans on more than a few occasions.
Don’t be surprised if someone gives you the cold shoulder in Morocco.
Arriving back to Marrakech after my Sahara desert trip, for example, I was hounded by one of the square’s many hustlers, who wanted me to stay in his friend’s hostel. I politely informed him that I already had one, to which he replied with insane profanity. No joke. I was also chided for photographing a local fruit stand by a presumably homeless woman, only to have her try and hustle me into her own “friend’s” hostel.
This problem only magnifies if you are female. In general, Moroccan males are more touchy-feely with Western women than men are almost anywhere else I’ve been, but in most cases this seems to be in relatively good nature – “relatively” being the operative word. If a woman resists certain mens’ physical advances, it isn’t uncommon for her to have insults thrown at her, some of them extremely vulgar. An Australian friend of mine was called extremely derogatory and vulgar terms upon her arrival.
Thankfully, there are plenty of incredible inanimate sights and sounds to keep you stimulated.
Interestingly, it was only in Marrakech that I encountered local people with such obvious animosity for Westerners.
Excessive Tourists in Marrakech:
I have come to believe that the next factor of Marrakech I’m about to describe relates to this attitude: The huge number of tourists. To be sure, I had a horrendous time even walking from the main street into the square and to my hostel in Marrakech upon my arrival in the city — the pedestrian footpaths were literally blanketed with tourists and locals trying to hustle the tourists.
Marrakech is positively chock full of tourists.
The next day I set out to see the “real” Marrakech, but found it difficult after even an hour of walking to escape the constant rush of tourists. This was particularly strange after being Egypt, which is currently reeling from an awful tourist drought thanks to its recent revolutions.
Indeed, the potentially negative effect of excessive tourists in Marrakech is two-fold: Not only does it build resentment upon locals, who are becoming increasingly dependent on tourists as their sole source of income, but you will also find it annoying if you want to experience Morocco without feeling like you’re in Europe or the U.K.
This, too, is even truer at night.
Transport in Marrakech:
Another annoying truth in Marrakech is that transportation is less than ideal. The most common means of getting around the city are petit taxis, which are small cars you may have to share with as many as five other people on the way into or out of the Marrakech medina. Marrakech has no metro, nor any buses to speak of.
This problem is further compounded by the fact that there aren’t enough taxis to serve the combination of locals and tourists, which means that getting one can often take some time. Even if you do, you will be lucky not to be taken advantage of, particularly if your French isn’t good.
Transportation infrastructure in Marrakech is far from modern.
My final arrival to the Marrakech bus station was my third, a fact of which I had to remind the driver of the taxi who whisked me to Jemaa el-Fnaa several times before he agreed to honor the price (20 Dh, for the record) I’d gotten on both of the previous ocassions.
The silver lining, of course, is that the medina of Marrakech is small — and, more importantly, interesting — enough that you almost never need taxis or any other sort of transport unless you’re entering or exiting it.
How To Make Sure You Enjoy Marrakech:
Indeed, having the best time possible in Marrakech is almost entirely a matter of limiting your exposure to its negative qualities as much as possible, and if you can’t, directing your energy toward things you do enjoy.
At the end of the day, plenty about Marrakech will bring a smile to your face.
Can’t stand the crowds in Jemaa al-Fnaa square at night? Pick a favorite food stall and head straight there — mine was #47, for the record. Don’t want to be harassed or harangued? Simply avoid talking to passing locals and save your chatter for restaurant owners, merchants and other friendly Moroccans whom you approach first.
The bottom line is this: Marrakech is an immensely enjoyable city. It’s pleasing to all the senses and presents a richer cross section of Morocco than almost anywhere else in the country. If you can make peace with the fact that some things about the city are going to irk you (as well as be strategic in avoiding as many of them as you can), then you will absolutely love Marrakech.
Robert Schrader is a travel writer and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications such as “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” along the way. His blog, Leave Your Daily Hell, provides a mix of travel advice, destination guides and personal essays covering the more esoteric aspects of life as a traveler.
