After two nights in Asilah it was back on the road and we wanted to head south quickly. Casablanca and the Rabat we skipped and made only a short stopover for one night in Mohammediaas the local Camping Mimosa is only five minutes away from the motorway. It has lots of trees for shade and the showers were hot. Roosters, guinea fowl and cats visited us at our truck and the staff were friendly and helpful. More comfort was not needed for one night. Here we struck up a conversation with Sjoukje and Florian, who were on their way back towards Spain. We chatted about this and that and came up with the conversation Workshop. On the long journey to Morocco, we already noticed that the brakes of our old donkey were gradually reaching their limits. When going downhill, the brakes seemed to get hot quickly, a jerking became noticeable and then it was too much for the fat one. So we kept putting off a visit to the workshop. Sjoukje told us that she had taken her camper to a workshop at Agadir for little money and they can highly recommend the workshop. So we suddenly had what might have been a pretty good plan! Best wishes from here to both of you!

El Jadida

After a relaxing night, we continued the next day to El Jadida. There is no longer a campsite near the city, but for 30 dirhams you can spend the night right on the beach. Beach promenade guarded parking. The beach is well frequented from morning until late in the evening. People play football, women meet for a chat and many just sit there and look out to sea. In the evening, vendors stand here with their small carts selling all kinds of stuff, like souvenirs, soups or candyfloss. Young people stroll into town and it can be noisy. So if you are looking for peace and quiet, this is definitely not the place for you.

Picture gallery El Jadida:

El Jadida is not very touristy, at least as far as non-Moroccans are concerned. But perhaps that is why the city is worth a stop. It is a port city with about 200,000 inhabitants and the Portuguese old town, the Cité portugaise and today Medina, became a Unesco World Heritage Site explains. It is surrounded by a wall on which you can walk around the Cité Portugaise from above. You can also watch the hustle and bustle in the harbour as the small wooden fishing boats sail in and out. The old town itself is a residential area with a few souvenir shops. You should take a look at the Citerne Portugaise, a cistern with ribbed vaults. A really great Photo motifbut unfortunately it was closed when we visited. Once you have completed the short tour of the medina, it is worthwhile to visit the lively and authentic hustle and bustle of the Souks (see info box). You can really buy everything there, from delicious homemade bread to fresh fruit, clothes and household goods. Small stalls offer freshly cooked food at non-touristy prices. Here you can immerse yourself in real Moroccan life. There are also numerous fish restaurants near the harbour. They serve a lot of fresh fish at a good price. We really liked El Jadida. Few frills, lots of Morocco.

Moroccan Souks

Every town and larger village has its Souk and on a trip through Morocco, a visit to a souk is a must. There are smaller souks in the villages, but also larger ones, like in Marrakech, which almost cover an entire city district. Here you can find everything for your daily needs and much more. It has something of the markets we are familiar with on the European continent, but beyond that, much, much more to offer. Fresh food is cooked at stalls right on the street. Either tajines or freshly grilled meat. The bread at the stalls is still warm and comes straight from the oven. There is a mass of fruit, vegetables, clothes, carpets, pottery and household items. But the souk is more than just a market, it is the heart of a city. Moroccans of all social classes come together here. The souk is a place full of smells and sensations. The smell of freshly grilled meat, mint, spices, incense, raw meat and fresh fish is in the air. It is loud and everyone has something to say. Moped riders and handcart pushers vie for the fastest way through the crowds. It can be exhausting to process all these great impressions. The noise, the crowds and the hustle and bustle. But it is the real Morocco and offers lasting impressions.

Oualidia

After a lot of motorway driving, our journey took us further south, now directly along the coast to Oualidia. The village is picturesquely situated on a beautiful Lagoonwhich is separated from the sea by rocky islands. Around Oualidia, there are several possibilities to stay overnight with a camper. Either up on the cliffs between the lagoon and the sea, but preferably with a 4×4. A large, concrete car park in the lower part of the village and a campsite further up with a view of the sea. We opted for the large car park. As soon as we arrived, we were offered fresh fish, crabs and oysters. We decided on a fresh Doradewhich was then cooked for us by the vendor on a charcoal grill directly at the camper. However, the campsite does not have much charm, so we stayed only one night and moved our location only a few hundred metres further to the Camping Laguna Park. There was hardly anything going on here and we settled in with a great sea view.

Detached in Morocco

By the way, a Free standing not allowed in the coastal area of Morocco. If you spend the night somewhere on the cliffs, there is a possibility that you will get a visit from the Moroccan police in the evening. They argue that the place is not safe and you are then taken to a safe place. escorted. The supposed safe place is usually the local police station. Don't worry, it's not the cell there, but the place in front of it where you can park your camper and sleep. So we avoided the free standing on the coast and always chose the "safe" Campsite. At the latest south of Essaouira However, the situation changes and overnight you can also use the free Nature enjoy. It is also worth mentioning that in the hinterland, for example in the Atlas MountainsThere were no problems at all. Oh, and we have never felt unsafe in Morocco.

Picture gallery Oualidia:

Moroccan street vendors and Ali's tajines

At the Laguna Park campsite in Oualidia we had more peace and quiet than at the campsite the day before. To a certain extent, one has an understanding for the Moroccan Street vendorwho, with the sale of goods, pushily try to sell their Living expenses but when you have to thank the fifth crab seller every few minutes, sometimes several times, it is gruelling. But there are also positive examples, and we learned that Ali know. He not only stops by at the pitch, but also at the campsite and comes with his old moped, recognisable by the white box on his luggage rack. He is respectful, extremely polite and speaks excellent German. His wife named Milouda cooks delicious Tajines and Couscous and Ali delivers the finished dishes in the evening in the warm tajine directly to the camper. His cakes are also delicious. So if you are ever in the area, stop by and order something from him. It's worth it! If you still feel like Boat tour through the lagoon, you should also ask Ali here, because his friend offers really cheap tours. And finally, after a long time, we had the opportunity to go on a longer tour. Hike to do. From the campsite it is only a few minutes to the cliffs. If you keep to the south, there are kilometre-long paths past vegetable gardens, fishermen's huts and old cemeteries.

Plage Bhibeh

After a few sunny days in Oualidia, our journey took us further and further south. If you are not in a hurry, you should definitely choose the coastal road instead of the busy motorways or motorways. There are numerous opportunities for a rest, either on top of the cliffs or at small bays directly by the sea. But beware, the roads become narrower and the edges are frayed with several centimetres of difference in height. So it is often unavoidable to either simply stop to let oncoming traffic pass, or risk swerving into the gravel when incompetent fellow German campers claim the entire width of the road for themselves. That's what happened to us once, including a full stop. The shock was great, but fortunately nothing happened and the tyres remained intact. After a long 150 kilometres, we reached our new accommodation in the late afternoon, the little fishing village of Bhibehconsisting of a few houses.

An insider tip here seems to be the Camping de la Plage a mixture of small flats in Moroccan style and a few concrete pitches for campers directly on the beach between sand dunes in complete solitude. If you're lucky enough to be at the very front, you'll have a fantastic view over the sea. However, the approach to the site can be tedious. The two-kilometre-long sand track is also used by heavy trucks, so that the already bumpy track becomes almost impassable after rainfall. But the drive is worth it for the lonely spot, because we were usually with just a handful of campers on the site. If necessary, the staff bring bread from the village and Olga, the security guard and German shepherd, is adorable.

So now we were slowly getting used to Morocco and were excited to see what else was in store for us. In the next article we will visit Essaouira and travel on to Agadir.

Links to this post:

Mohammedia, Camping Mimosa: https://goo.gl/maps/hQF3jAfQ5iKdmDX1A
Oualidia, Camping Laguna Park: https://goo.gl/maps/wqyi9ebYX3JCCzEFA
Bhibeh, Camping de la Plage: https://goo.gl/maps/hQksgtRz89Z4v9es5

Our driving route in this article

With pictures and locations (zoom in and click points, red dot = pictures, green dot = overnight stays).

Watch our journey on Youtube