DESTINATIONS SHORT BREAKS |MOROCCO
viewsew AGENTS’
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Salé beach; Hassan Tower, Rabat; the city’s Garden of Botanical Trials PICTURES: Shutterstock/David Ionut, Kasbah; Yolanda Zappaterra
Ellie Papadopoulou,
travel advisor and founder, Wander Travel by Ellie
“Rabat has a sense of calm you don’t usually associate with
Morocco, which gives the city a more polished, quietly confident atmosphere. I braced myself for the energy of Marrakech or
Casablanca, but instead I found a capital that has clearly benefited
from thoughtful redevelopment. For leisure travellers, I’d recommend Rabat as a one to three-night stop on a wider Morocco trip.
As a standalone, it works best for travellers with specific interests.”
Alex Locke, general manager, 1000 Mile Travel
“I love Rabat’s mix of old and
new – open boulevards intertwined with ancient landmarks. It feels
safe, warm and welcoming; it’s nice not to feel pressured or hassled in the markets. Chellah was like a peaceful, hidden oasis, with some of the city’s deepest history set amid beautiful gardens. It was a delight to explore and absorb the energy of such a special, ancient site. Agents could combine
two hotels in different areas to give clients access to both its cultural and coastal activities.”
of the largest mosques in the world. But once the ruling caliph Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur died, so too did his magnificent building project. The Hassan Tower is connected to the 1960s Mausoleum of Mohammed V, where the golden mosaic cupola reminds me of Istanbul’s Hagia Sofia. Later in the day, we are equally blown away by the ancient site of Chellah (some 15 minutes outside Rabat), with its 14th-century necropolis overlaying a first-century BC Roman settlement. As I wander manicured gardens filled with bamboo groves, fruit trees and nesting storks, I explore the many layers of Chellah’s history.
FOOD AND FOOTBALL Subsequent days reveal more arresting sites and activities, among them the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art and a 42-acre botanical garden in the heart of Rabat. We also take a sunset boat trip past the Zaha Hadid-designed Grand Theatre.
From our waterfront base at the Fairmont La Marina Rabat-Salé Hotel, we take morning beach walks to watch surfers enjoying breaking Atlantic waves, teenagers swimming in gentler waters and kids playing football on the vast beach. Fun fact: Salé, just over the Bou Regreg River from Rabat, is sometimes overlooked as a commuter town, but it has one of Morocco’s oldest football clubs. Evenings are spent exploring Rabat’s laid-back
medina, where the old city’s main street, Rue des Consuls, is filled with colourful carts piled high vegetables, meat, seafood and river fish that are transformed into amazing dishes at the city’s restaurants.
² GETTING THERE
BA Euroflyer flies from Gatwick to Rabat twice-weekly year-round – in winter on Wednesdays and Sundays – from £62 one-way.
ba.com
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27 NOVEMBER 2025
travelweekly.co.uk
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