In Morocco

Before continuing the itinerary it may well be an idea to tell you a bit about Morocco as we saw it!

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The country varies from region to region and is split laterally by two main mountain ranges :-
To the south the Atlas, which is the highest, with peaks over 13000 feet covered in snow for most of the year and with skiing in the winter months.
To the north, parallel with the Mediterranean, are the Rif lower than the Atlas but still a significant and beautiful range.

The south is very hot and this is where the Sahara Desert begins and in areas the temperatures can reach a staggering 70 degrees celcius with a summer norm of around 40 degrees!
North of the Atlas is much greener and whilst still hot by UK standards is considered temperate by the locals. This is a fertile region with all sorts of crops grown including grapes for wine making.

The Mediterranean coastal area from Ceuta (the main ferry port to Spain and Spanish administered) to Martil has some very exclusive developments. The coastal area from Martil to the Algerian border is gradually being opened up to tourism.
To the west is the Atlantic Coastal strip and the area from Tangier to Casablanca is the most densely populated. Further south along the Atlantic from Essaouira to Agadir and Sidi Ifni are the resorts much favoured as winter destinations by the French and gradually other Europeans. There are some excellent surfing beaches in this region.

Morocco has three main groups of people, Arab, Berber and Tuareg and three official languages, Arabic, Berber and French with Arabic as the main language but most people will also speak French.
Politically the country is moderate by North African standards with the present King, Mohammed VI, determined to see Morocco brought into the 21st Century with such reforms as women's rights, education for all and development of the "outer" regions with new roads and industry.

Morocco is an Islamic state but is religiously tolerant, all other faiths being allowed. However, most mosques are closed to non Muslims with the main exception being the huge new mosque in Casablanca built by King Hassan ll during the last years of his reign in the 1990s - the mosque is well worth a visit and costs 120 Dirhams per person for a guided tour.

The country has two main police forces - local police (blue uniforms) and the Gendarmerie Royal (grey uniforms) and you will see many of them. There are a large number of patrols on the roads often with speed cameras HOWEVER they are very tolerant and polite towards visitors BUT do not exceed the speed limits, the on-the-spot fines are 400 Dirhams (about £35.00) upwards.

Driving in Morocco requires your full attention as things can be a bit different to the way we normally drive in the UK.
They are in the process of upgrading many "pistes" (unsurfaced tracks) to tarmac surfaces plus building new motorways and express highways. Most motorways are toll roads but reasonably priced.
Do not be surprised to see families gathering fodder for their animals in the centre reservation of the motorway, shepherds (often children) tending flocks of sheep and goats along the edges of the hard shoulders, people strolling along the edges of the motorways plus others running across from one side to the other! On top of that their vehicles can be very old, rather slow (except ancient Mercedes Taxis which are always driven flat out), and overloaded with goods, animals and people both inside and out!

Camping and Caravan Sites

As Morocco was a French run country until 1956 much of the infrastructure is a copy of what you will find in France and so it is with camp sites! Some towns have "municipal" sites as well as commercial ones HOWEVER a lot of the sites are how you would have found them when the French left.
Most now have "proper" loos as well as the holes in the floor type. The sanitary facilities can be basic but are normally very clean
In most of the country water is safe for drinking although on some of the more remote sites it is drawn from wells so it is advisable to use bottled water.

Electricity is good, with most sites being at least 10 amps however at some sites the EHU points can be a bit crude by UK standards.
Bottled gas is generally the same as Continental Europe so it is essential to have sufficient or to have adapters or to purchase a local bottle and regulator, cheap enough and available in every village as locals use bottled gas for their cooking.
Individual pitches are often small and on some sites they are not marked out and it can be a bit of a free-for-all getting a good position but generally this means that you won't be turned away because a site is full.
Security is normally good, and with many sites being in old "Kasbahs" it is excellent.
Many sites offer services such as cooked meals (tangine etc.) either to eat in a dining area or delivered to your van. Some have a shop or "supermarket" as they call them - supermarket in Morocco simply means a shop that sells more than one line of goods so do not confuse it with a UK supermarket! Larger sites may have a swimming pool, entertainment area and/or children's playground.
Finally if you will only accept Caravan Club standards - then Morocco is not for you.

Shopping

Large towns normally have a Hypermarket or Superstore and the main brands are Marjane, Aswak Assalam and Acima - bit like a Tesco Extra - where you can buy just about anything you need including alcohol. All villages have at least one shop where you can buy bread, water, fruit and vegetables and in larger villages and towns there will be a marche (market) some every day others just once or twice a week. We found that the cost of local produce was very low for us, Moroccan bread being around 12p for a small loaf which is round and rather flat but always freshly baked and delicious. Fruit and veg are excellent, imported goods carry extra tax so are more expensive. Alcohol cannot be purchased in a market or normal shop and we only found it in the Hypermarkets however, it is not illegal in fact Morocco produces its own wines and beers. Locally produced goods in glass bottles may have a returns deposit which does not always show on the shelf labels - at present 2.5 Dirhams per bottle just over 20p.

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