Morocco is located directly south of Spain, across the narrow Strait of Gibraltar. Morocco has 2,000 miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, half of which are sandy beaches. The major cities include the capital Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Agadier, Fes and Marrakech. Arabic and Berber are the most commonly spoken languages. Additionally, most Moroccans learn French in school. Many Moroccan and indigenous Berber people also live in mountain villages in the Atlas and Rif Mountains in Northern Morocco.
Middle Morocco has rich, fertile farm land, and southern Morocco is situated in the Sahara Desert. Temperatures range drastically depending on the location. For example, the summers in Casablanca get up to the 70s Fahrenheit while it gets up to 115 degrees in Marrakech. Winter nights are cold throughout the country.
The Moroccan tourist industry has been active since the early 20th century when Morocco was a French protectorate (Morocco gained independence in 1956). Tourism spread from large cities to beach towns like Agadir and mountain villages like Chefchouen in the Rif Mountains.
The Moroccan Ministry of Tourism was created in 1985. The tourist industry experienced periods of paralysis during political conflicts with Algeria in the 1990s and a handful of terror attacks in 2003 and 2007. King Mohammed VI subsequently launched "Plan Azur," an initiative to increase Morocco's already healthy tourism industry.
There are different types of tourism in Morocco, from visiting old Islamic sites to skiing in the Atlas mountains. Some popular tourists attractions include the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca; riding camels with Bedouins in the Sahara Desert; the ancient medina of Fes; Berber villages in the Rif Mountains; the Menara Gardens of Marrakech; and the Hassan Tower in Rabat---just to name a few.
High tourist season is during the months of July and August when the sun is not overly hot and the temperatures are warm, but not unbearable. Many tourists come just before or after that, but they risk being uncomfortably hot. The weather is rainy and cold from October to April, especially in the mountains where temperatures regularly drop below freezing during this period.
Morocco is an observant Muslim nation. Women and men dress conservatively; most women wear the hejab (head scarf) and some even wear the neqab (face scarf) to demonstrate religious piety; men wear jeans and jelabas (traditional garb) and rarely wear shorts.
Moroccans appreciate it when tourists wear modest clothing. Women need not cover their hair or faces, but at the very least should avoid wearing tank tops and short shorts. This is out of respect for the local culture, and it will also help circumvent cat calls and excessive haggling in market places.
