Family Adventure From Marrakech to Malaga

Marrakech

We flew directly to Marrakech from Dublin and spent three nights in a beautiful riad in the old town, a stone’s throw from the mazes of the medina. On the first day we hired a guide to take us around the sights in the medina, and in the evening we went on a food tour – having the guide enabled us to learn and experience so much more than we would have if we were on our own.

The following day we ventured into the medina ourselves and visited a beautiful garden and browsed in some shops, before making our way to a Moroccan pastry making class, which we all really enjoyed. The last stop of the day was to a henna cafe, where the kids got tattoos as a souvenir of their trip!

Imlil

From Marrakech we got a taxi to the town of Imlil, the main jumping-off point for hikes across the High Atlas Mountains. The weather was noticeably cooler, so we were happy we came prepared. We had a guide for two hikes – on the first day we walked through the valley, admiring waterfalls and Mt. Toubkhal, North Africa’s highest mountain. We had a delicious lunch in a family home in the village of Armed, a highlight of the trip. The following day we climbed higher into the mountains, passing through another local village and seeing farmers herding their sheep and goats. To keep the kids going before our picnic lunch, we started counting beetles which became fun for everyone! After lunch we returned to the riad to collect our bags and headed back to Marrakech for the night, enjoying the rest of the afternoon by the pool.

 Fes

We boarded a 6.5 train to the ancient and cultural capital of Morocco, Fes. We had a full day in Fes and had a private guide who took us to the outer ramparts of the city and to the main sights within the city walls. We admired stunning architecture, the most beautiful zellige tiles (everywhere!), and visited one of Fes’s famous leather tanneries. It was worth the journey to see it!

Chefchaouen

From Fes, we headed north to the blue city of Chefchaouen near the Rif mountains. Most people make a day trip from Tangier or Fes, but it was worth staying for a night as we could wander the blue-hued streets in the evening and early morning, with few tourists and mainly locals. Highly recommended if you are a keen photographer like me!

Tetuoan

 From Chefchaouen we headed further north to the white city of Tetuoan near the sea, where deep blue skies contrast with bright white buildings. Few tourists venture here, so it is a much more authentic stop than other places on the tourist trail, which is evident as you walk through the medina and markets.

Ceuta

Our last stop on the African continent was the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, at the northern tip of Morocco. A taxi dropped us to the border 45 mins north of Tetuoan and we crossed over to Spain on foot! We hopped on a local bus that took us near our hotel in the center of Ceuta, where we stayed for two nights, enjoying the beach (albeit cold), Spanish tapas, and western comforts.

Malaga

Leaving Ceuta, we crossed the sea by ferry and boarded a coach to Malaga, passing the rock of Gibraltar on the way. Malaga (the birthplace of Picasso) has no shortage of things to do, but the kids were tired of sightseeing, so we opted to spend the time doing things that interested them (shopping and museums of their choice). For us adults, we sought enjoyment admiring the beautiful streets, eating good food and drinking delicious Spanish wine!