A Weekend Getaway To Morocco
Even though I really enjoy planning my own travel, sometimes it is good to let go and have someone else do all of the planning for you. That is why I booked a weekend getaway to Morocco through We Love Spain in March 2018.
For anyone confused about why I would book a trip to Morocco through a company with Spain in its name, you should know I booked this trip while I was living in Granada, Spain. So a weekend getaway to Morocco was an easy-access destination for me.
The exact travel package I bought was the Morocco Fantasy Weekend + Gibraltar. It was convenient to book through a company because there is an intricate amount of travel arrangements required to get to Morocco, ranging from buses to ferry rides to camel rides. I just wanted someone to take care of all of that for me.
Plus I did not want to deal with booking hotel accommodations, especially in a country where I did not have any cell phone service. Also, We Love Spain brings a professional photographer along for the trip to capture all of your adventures, and I would have spent a small fortune if I had booked a professional photographer myself.
As of 2021, the cost of booking this weekend getaway through We Love Spain ranges from 199 euros to 219 euros, depending on which Spanish city you depart from. I departed out of Malaga, so I paid the lower price.
Gibraltar
The first stop on this weekend getaway was Gibraltar, which is actually a British territory in the southern part of Spain. The most dominant feature of this territory is the Rock of Gibraltar. You have the option of adding a monkey excursion for an additional cost on this part of the trip. On this excursion, you get to visit a nature reserve in Gibraltar and see some of the 300 or so Barbary macaques that live in the territory. If you choose not to add the monkey excursion, then you can just wander the city with nowhere in mind. In the city center, there are plenty of souvenir shops, restaurants, and a public plaza with occasional performances.
Morocco
After the visit to Gibraltar, the tour continues to Morocco. This journey involves crossing three borders in one day. First, we crossed from Spain into Gibraltar, which has a passport checkpoint because it is a British territory. Then we crossed back into Spanish territory and continued onto Ceuta, which is a Spanish enclave on the African continent. Then we crossed from that Spanish enclave into Morocco. Let’s just say I had to show a lot of people my passport on this day.
The next day (Saturday) began our first and only full-day in Morocco. The first activity on our tour was a trip to Tangier. Although you do not actually leave the bus on this part of the tour, you do get a drive-through tour of the city. Afterwards, the tour stopped for camel rides on a beach outside of Tangier as well as a stop at Cape Espartel, which is the site where the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea meet.
Next, the tour stopped in Chefchaouen, which is the famous blue city of Morocco. Why is this city painted almost entirely blue? There are several theories including: Jewish influence on the religious importance of the color blue, an attempt to keep mosquitoes away, an attempt to keep the city cool in the desert heat, or even just to attract tourism. Whatever the reason, the blue color palette gives the mountain town an extra touch of beauty. But I will warn you that, when almost every part of the city is painted the same color, it is easier to get lost in the maze of streets. So make sure you pay attention to where you are going as you wander around.
As part of the tour in Chefchaouen, you get to visit a fabric co-op and experience a major part of Moroccan trade in this city. Then, the tour continues onto Tetuan, where you experience a dinner show with traditional Moroccan food and dance.
On day three of the trip, the tour returns to Tetuan to visit a Berber Pharmacy. Here you can buy various oils and traditional remedies for different ailments. Plus, you get a Moroccan expert to show you how to properly use the oils and herbs. Afterwards, the tour crosses the ocean back to Spain via ferry. And the weekend excursion ends as you return to your origin site.
Extra Tips
The main currency used in Morocco is called the Dirham. However, many shops in Morocco also accept Euros or even United States Dollars (USD). For most souvenir shops there are no set prices, so expect to do a lot of bargaining.
Many of the shop owners in Morocco speak a range of languages, such as Arabic, French, Spanish, and English. I had no problem effectively communicating with most shop owners using a combination of English and Spanish.
It is also important to note that tap water is not safe to drink in many areas of Morocco. So, it is important to ensure that you have access to bottled water. I brought a liter of bottled water with me on the trip, because I was not sure how accessible bottled water would be in Morocco. In my experience, bottled water was readily available for purchase, as well as other bottled beverages.
In the future, border crossings on this package trip may get more complicated as Gibraltar, being part of the United Kingdom, left the European Union. Thus, there is no certainty of its future participation in the Schengen Agreement which allows easy movement between European countries and territories.
Lastly, if you are living in Spain and want a weekend trip to somewhere other than Morocco, We Love Spain also has weekend trips to Portugal. Plus, they have several day trips within Spain.
Further Reading: If you want to visit Morocco but will be coming from a country other than Spain, you can use Google Flights to find the cheapest Moroccan city to fly into.
