Morocco

I do think a lot of people agree with me if I say that Morocco is a paradise for cyclers. And then I’m talking about the real Morocco, not the crowded touristic places. Come in touch with the incredible hospitable local people, who easily share their food with you. Having a huge diversity in landscapes, a cycle trip can be adjusted to any wishes. The outstanding Atlas ranges are the pearl, while the remote and dull Sahara has its charm.

The Moroccan people are incredibly kind, especially in remote places. They like to make new friends and they offer you food, drinks and places to sleep quite regularly. It's hard to not fall in love with the people.

In the below overview you can see which countries need a visa for Morocco. The green countries can enter Morocco for 90 days (Singapore and Hong Kong only 30 days).

Source: Wikipedia.

Morocco is generally a safe country with strong social control. In the poorer regions, and of course in the cities, pay close attention to your belongings.

Onroad: Bread with tuna Local food: Tajine, harira, kebab, couscous Local drink: Tea (liquid sugar…)

There are sufficient supply points in villages and towns. It really depends on the region how good the supply points are. For example, you don't get fresh vegetables, bread or groceries for dinner everywhere. We usually take some pasta, lentils, cereal and hard vegetables with us for off road trips because some shops have very scant supplies such as just cookies. Because Morocco is quite densely populated, water is never a problem. We tap at the last village just before wild camping. Please note that in very dry regions you do not take water with people who have had to lug around for a long time every day.

Tajine is a stew with or without meat and very tasty, stewed in delicious herbs (rash el hanout). Most tajines are with meat, along the coast also with fish. The special herbs for this are for sale on the markets. Harira (soup) is made from chickpeas and is an excellent bicycle food. Fried fish (sardines) is especially cheap, sometimes served with fried chips. You are often offered couscous at people's homes.

Bread comes in flat round format or in the form of baguettes. In somewhat larger towns there are bakeries, often hidden in alleys, where you can buy delicious fresh bread in the morning. In remote villages in the High Atlas, where there is no shop, you can ask people for Khobz (bread), Elmah (water).

For vegetarians it is a bit more difficult. In the eateries people are usually prepared to make dishes without meat. In addition, lots of chickpeas, couscous and the small baguettes with fries and raw vegetables.

For sale in local shops: fresh fruit and vegetables (often minimal choice); sardines; biscuits; long-life milk, cheese spread (la vache qui rit) etc. In the far south, the Sahara region, there are far fewer opportunities on the way. Prepare for that and make sure you have enough food and especially drink with you.

Drinks

Drinking water in the desert often comes from deep wells and you often have to rely on it along the unpaved roads. In the cities the water is chlorinated, this does not have to be a problem for drinkability as long as you give it time to let the chlorine evaporate, possibly add a dash of lemon juice against the bad taste. In the mountains there is wonderfully fresh water that is easy to drink without purification (watch out for contamination downstream!) In the less populated areas it is advisable to take enough water with you at the start. (Mineral) water in bottles is widely available everywhere, with the exception of the small remote places. Wilbert drank the water everywhere from the tap or from wells without filtering. This is not wise but has not caused any problems. Cola and other soft drinks are very cheap. Tea is the national drink, it contains an unimaginable amount of sugar. Sometimes mint or other herbs are added. Offering hospitality is always accompanied by offering tea. If it is elaborate, then they serve in three courses that you are supposed to sit out completely. Sometimes it takes more than an hour to drink. In more and more places and above all in Marrakech you will find freshly squeezed orange juice. According to the average Moroccan that is very sour ... with "a little" sugar much better! And beware, some people add sugar and water to earn more money.

In many places you can buy delicious fresh fruit juices in all kinds of flavors. Many shops also have delicious cooled yogurt, milk and Lban (kind of buttermilk) in all kinds of variants for 5 DH.

Cooking fuel

(Unleaded) petrol is easily available at the pump. In Marrakech, the Marjane Menara CV 470 Camping Gaz sells cartridges in the Hypermarket. Can be found when entering Marrakech on the road to Casablanca. Alternative address (selling CV 270 cartridges: Bouargane Mohamed, Drougerie 3, Rue Bab Agnaou (Imm. Tazi) Marrakech Medina Tel 044 44 20 73 The shop is located in a side street of Jema el Fna square, near the Grand Hotel.

Markets

If you find it you are in a place when the weekly market is held. It's nice to sit somewhere and watch Moroccans trade.

Supermarkets

In the larger towns you can come across signs for "Super Marche". This means that you can take your goods yourself. Don't expect a huge range. The stores are still mainly organized in clusters. So all hardware stores together, all butchers together, all greengrocers together and so on.

Hygiene is not always taken very seriously. The risk of diarrhea is quite high if you are not careful. There are no mandatory vaccinations. Vaccinations against DTP and hepatitis A are recommended.

Nice routes

• The Sous Valley is busy with cars and flat, try to avoid it.
• The part between Ouarzazate and Tinerhir is very busy with many coaches and it is a narrow road.
• The route from Ceuta in the far north through the Rif Mountains over Meknes, Fez and Beni-Mellal to Marrakech is easy to do; staying overnight in hotels en route is no problem.
• Last stretch of desert run to sand dunes at Merzouga is passable but poor signage, there are many tracks here that are barely distinguishable from the main route. An alternative is to take the new asphalt road from Risani, this takes a 15 km detour.
• The Atlas about is very beautiful. The Tizi N test is a very nice mountain pass to take with a long run-up and beautiful views

Best time to cycle

In December to February there is a chance of snow in the Central and parts of the High Atlas and it is often very cold in the mornings. It is much more moderate along the coast in winter, when temperatures can rise to 25 degrees in the south. October to mid-May is the most suitable for cycling, along the coast all year round. The rest of the year it is very hot in the interior, with often exceptions in the mountain areas.

Spare parts

Spare parts are for sale but usually not of good quality. In Casablanca it is possible to find modern (Shimano) parts after a good search. The locals also say that Agadir is possible there, but don't count on it. It is recommended to bring your own. Workshops can be found in many villages and towns.